Saab have finally brought their diesel 9-3 range to Australia and I was fortunate enough to drive all three versions last week in Brisbane at the launch event.

This has been a much anticipated launch. Diesel automobiles are gathering some momentum here in Australia and as I found out last week, Saab have brought a great product to the market here.

I’m going to take my time preparing the video of my own drive in the diesel sedan and SportCombi as I want to make sure it really reflects how impressive this new model line is. I went into the day knowing that the diesels had done well in Europe but not knowing much about what to expect.

I came away from the day totally blown away by how great this engine is. If you’re like me, reading the specs and seeing 110kW (150hp) for a new car isn’t going to set your world on fire. But there’s a surprise in there - it’s the 320Nm of torque that make this car dance.

It’s not a bahn-burner, but this car is set up perfectly for regular everyday driving and there’s more than enough there to make the weekend trips interesting too.

For anyone considering a diesel in the Australian market, Saab’s combination of performance, standard luxury and safety will make for a compelling package.

As a Saab enthusiast I can’t say enough about how impressed I was with this car and how pleased I am to see that the diesel variants of the 9-3 will seamlessly compliment the existing range here.

The following videos outline the details of the new Saab 9-3 diesel range for Australia.

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This first video covers the model range, transmissions and fuel economy information for the Saab 9-3 diesels:

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The second video covers the model specifications and how Saab are going to market the cars here in Australia, including a preview of the TV and print advertisements for the diesel range:

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