This is the fourth consecutive year that the 9-3 Sport Sedan has brought home IIHS top honors, an unique achievement in the luxury segment. For 2007 the 9-3 earned the Top Safety Pick Award, in 2006 the 9-3 earned the Top Safety Pick – Gold Award and received a Double Best Pick crash-test rating for 2005.
The institute began testing convertibles in 2007. In the inaugural year, the 9-3 Convertible earned a top spot. This is the second year running that the Saab 9-3 Convertible earns the Top Safety Pick Award – one of two convertibles and the only soft-top convertible to earn a top spot.
The Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side-impact crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries. Winning vehicles must earn good ratings in all three tests and offer electronic stability control.
“The Saab 9-3 performed well in front and side crash tests and the Saab Active Head Restraints provide state-of-the-art protection against neck injuries,” said IIHS President Adrian Lund. "The addition of electronic stability control as standard equipment confirms Saab’s commitment to vehicle safety.”
IIHS is a nonprofit research and communications organization funded by auto insurers. The Institute's research focuses on countermeasures aimed at all three factors in motor vehicle crashes (human, vehicular, and environmental) and on interventions that can occur before, during, and after crashes to reduce losses.
Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab Automobile USA is the importer and/or distributor of Saab 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X automobiles for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For the 2008 model year, Saab makes XM Satellite Radio and OnStar standard on its entire line-up. Additionally, all new Saabs have no-charge scheduled maintenance, and the Saab 100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty. Visit www.saabusa.com for more information.
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Saab 9-3 Range Accolades
* 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2008
* 9-3 Convertible: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2008
* 9-3 Convertible: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2007
* 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2007
* 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Top Safety Pick – Gold Award”, 2006
* 9-3 SportCombi: Activelifestyle.com “Active Lifestyle Award”, 2006
* 9-3 Range : “Wards top-10 best engine”, Wards, 2006
* 9-3 SportCombi: SmartMoney "Best mispriced wagon" awards, SmartMoney magazine, 2006
* 9-3 SportCombi: "Top sport wagon", buyacar.suite101.com, 2006
* 9-3 SportCombi: Intellichoice Award - Lowest Maintenance Costs in Class, 2006
* 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Double Best Pick” crash test rating, 2005
* 9-3 SportCombi: “Good” rating (the maximum rating) for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Britain’s Thatcham Insurance Research Center crash tests, 2005
* 9-3 Convertible: “Good” rating (the maximum rating) for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Britain’s Thatcham Insurance Research Center crash tests, 2005
* 9-3 Sedan: “Good” rating (the maximum rating) for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Britain’s Thatcham Insurance Research Center crash tests, 2004
* 9-3 Convertible: Five stars, top rating from European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) crash tests, 2004
* 9-3 Sedan: “Green”, top rating for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Swedish Insurance Company Folksam’s crash tests, 2003
* 9-3 Sedan: Five stars, top rating from European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) crash tests, 2002