The Saab 900, spiritual predecessor to the car in question, was introduced over a quarter century ago. The first true 900 was launched fifteen years ago, and since then, if you were a Saab stylist, the only heavy lifting required was rendering the 9000 nine years ago. This joke does not evoke shuddering belly laughs from Saab stylists Björn Envall and Einar Hareide, but the truth is that the new Saab 900, once again, is not exactly a shape Sergio Pininfarina might have coughed up.
The new car has a unique personality, an increasing rarity in this era of auto homogeneity. What we have here is a seven-eighths-scale Saab 9000 that, when fitted with the V-6, is both more tractable and agile around town. Of course, at an estimated price of $27,000, the 900SE comes within $1200 of costing as much as the larger 9000CS—an odd affair for a two-model manufacturer.
The new Saab 900SE is exquisitely assembled and fun to drive, and its cargo-carrying capacity certainly makes it a practical grocery-hauler. The car's distinctive looks and character will appeal to off-the-beaten-path shoppers who want a car that's both stylish and enjoyable to drive.
The interior of the 900SE is genuinely luxurious, Armani-sleek, with headrests no longer looking like cinderblocks sitting atop the front seats. The seats would look good in anyone's front room. While the new V-6 just blew away its neighbors, too, the car's overall design remains true to Saab's eccentric but lovable ways.
The 900SE's V-6 delivers a noticeable wallop of torque just above 3000 rpm. By 4000 rpm, you tend to upshift during all but the most delinquent driving. The V-6 pulls this 3080-pound car to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds, putting its straight-line performance almost on par with the $30,000 five-speed BMW 325i's 6.9 seconds.
The Saab's Pirelli P4000s hang onto the skidpad with 0.77 g of grip and grind to a halt from 70 mph in 207 feet, lagging behind the 0.80 g and 178 feet of the BMW. The ride is supple by sports-sedan standards, confidently swallowing pot-holes rather than slam-banging over them.
The new Saab 900SE is an excellent long-distance tourer with good suppression of wind noise and excellent tracking. It's a great value for its price, offering a unique blend of style, comfort, and performance that sets it apart from more mainstream sports sedans.
The car's distinctive looks and character will appeal to off-the-beaten-path shoppers who want a car that's both stylish and enjoyable to drive. The 900SE is not hot rod material but blessed with strong acceleration. It's not sports car material but possessed of sufficiently firm damping to send you looking for blue highways.
The new Saab 900SE is a great example of evolutionary design, striking an ideal compromise between style, comfort, and performance. With its unique personality and generous cargo capacity, it's a practical grocery-hauler that's also fun to drive.
The 1994 Saab 900SE is a car that will appeal to those who value individuality and character in their vehicles. Its distinctive looks and comfortable ride make it an excellent choice for long-distance driving, and its strong acceleration and firm damping make it a joy to drive on twisty roads.
The new 900SE is a great long-distance tourer with good suppression of wind noise and excellent tracking.
