FORWARD Motion.(News)(New 9-3 Sport Sedan gets some credit for Saab's apparent mid-spiral recovery)

Byline: Mac Morrison

Credit the new 9-3 Sport Sedan for Saab's apparent mid-spiral recovery. Halfway through 2003, the manufacturer that hemorrhaged cash for years appears on the verge of a financial comeback. Through June, year-to-date sales increased 19 percent from 2002, and 9-3 sales rose 65 percent. Not bad when you consider the low- end, 175-hp Linear was the only 9-3 available through the first quarter.

You'll have another option in October when the 2004 9-3 Convertible goes on sale in Arc and Aero trim levels. There will be no Vector (replaced by Aero across the 9-3 range for 2004) or Viggen models; Saab says it will worry about names if and when a high-performance model (under development in fixed-roof form) debuts. For now, both Arc and Aero use the same 2.0-liter, 210-hp, 221-lb-ft, high-pressure turbo four-cylinder found in the equivalent sedans.

You'll also note the absence of an entry-level Linear model, which Saab deems unnecessary. The company believes it may as well ride the initial sales wave to the bank and prices reflect the philosophy. The luxury-oriented Arc checks in at $40,670, while sporty Aero versions start at $43,175. Each is priced among the relevant competitors from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Still the question must be asked: Does this convertible have the goods to raise Saab's standing in the company's strongest segment?

We begin to find the answer on a rough, unpaved Swedish country trail. Some convertibles feel as though they are formed from Popsicle sticks and Elmer's glue, but this car is rock-solid. Even as we tackle terrain most owners will likely avoid, the lack of cowl shake and chassis flex is impressive. The "Ring of Steel'' chassis reinforcements help to make the new convertible nearly 300 percent stiffer than the previous model, and little more than half as rigid as the sedan version.

Saab says these reinforcements also aid occupant safety. A steel "torsion box''-which functions as a mounting point for the rear roll hoops and as a virtual C-pillar-sits between the rear-wheel housings (its installation means there is no rear-seat cargo pass-through as is available in the sedan). A three-layer-thick windshield header and four-layer ...