Top 9 reasons why the Saab 9-3 Viggen rocks!
1. The name means “Thunderbolt”, which is pretty much the coolest name there is for a performance variant of a car, especially from Sweden with all the Nordic mythology and everything else.
2. It’ll sound like snobbery, but the exclusivity that comes with the Viggen badge when it’s accompanied by a package that’s available in no other Saab - means something.
3. While we’re talking about the Viggen badge - it’s awesome.
4. It has the third best seats Saab have ever put into a car. The best, IMHO are still the seats in the 9000 Aero, followed closely by the ventilated seats in the Saab 9-5 Aero from 2003. The Viggen seats, especially in my favourite blue and black - and yes, I’m biased - are visually stunning and incredibly comfortable.
5. The Viggen features Saab’s button interior and in the Australian version of the Viggen, it’s trimmed in carbon fibre. It’s an acquired taste, but it’s incredibly distinctive. The leather trim, right down to the gear knob and steering wheel, makes for a very comfortable and stimulating driving environment and the two-tone treatment is, again, quite distinct. The button controls are logically laid out, are easy to use and look absolutely awesome at night. The car’s also incredibly well equipped and has great ergonomics.
6. One of Saab’s hallmarks is an element of understatement. Considering the Viggen’s capabilities, it fits right into this understated mold. Sit it next to another Saab and you can tell there’s something special about it, no doubt. But it’s not a car that screams performance like a hotted up ricemobile or an M-Sport BMW. It’s elegant and athletic, with just a hint of what’s to come when you get behind the wheel.
7. And when you get behind the wheel, the darn thing just goes like stink!! I’ve driven fast cars that are so luxurious that they don’t feel anywhere near as fast as they really are. Audi S4, anyone? The Viggen feels every bit as fast as it is. You have to pay attention in this car if you’re planning to give it the boot, as I found out last year. At the same time, though, it’s perfectly driveable in everyday situations. It’s an extraordinarily well mannered car.
8. The Viggen, probably more than any Saab before or since, has way too much engine for the chassis. I know it might sound crazy to have this on a list like this, but the fact that you can spend a bundle on it is actually quite exciting. There are certain modifications that are needed to get this car up to it’s potential. It’s somewhat of a blight on Saab that they didn’t get it done from the get-go. But it’s also fun planning the customisations that you’re going to do in order to get things just right.
9. I’m not a GM-hater. I couldn’t run this blog if I was as like it or not, the future of Saab lies in GM’s hands. But it is special to me that the Viggen was the last major product development prior to GM taking 100% ownership of Saab in 2000. It ain’t 100% pure like the 900, but it’s close. And there hasn’t been a radical model development quite like it since. Maybe the Turbo X will take that mantle.
——
The Saab 9-3 Viggen took a fair battering from the press. It’d be easy to read what they said about it and dismiss the car. But take it from me, this is one Saab with a hell of a personality.
My one hope is that the battering the car took doesn’t mean that the Viggen name is dead. Ask any owner and they’ll tell you that the beating the car took doesn’t represent how they feel about the car. But fling enough mud and some of it will stick.
“Viggen” is a worthy name for a high performance Saab and hopefully there’ll be a car in the future that’s good enough to cancel out the baggage and deliver that ownership experience again.
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I like the TurboX name, however I like the sentiment for the Viggen nameplate. Keep the heritage of tradition and make a new lightning bolt!
Oh, and by the way.. Volvo has realy only the licensproduction and adoptation of engines for Saab aircrafts + service. The SF, JA, AJ 37 Viggen had Pratt and Whitney JT-8 A-D that in Volvo terms translates into RM8 A - D.
So yes.. The origines of many Saab fighter engines is the US.
The engine in the 9-3 Viggen is all Saab though.. But it does not have a topspeed of Mach +2 approx 2500 km/h like it´s flying sybling
you have hit the nail on the head. what i like about the car is that of my two cars a 9-5 hirsch aero and a 3door viggen the viggen is just so much fun to drive, you actually have to think about what you are doing, there is no esp to help if it goes wrong, the chassis is not good enough (bit like the 9-5 there!) the brakes are only just good enough etc etc
its the car you have to work at to drive fast, it puts a smile on your face
another viggen post! heh. keep em comin. if you want a fast car that does all the driving for you, then the viggen will throw you off the pavement faster than you can say “oh…..$%@#!” but thats what i love about it. when i was younger a family friend had a lotus esprit. that car might of looked sporty, but it was a white knuckle/heart pounding affair to drive hard. thats something you should take pride in. anyone can drive an s4 or m3, i just dont think it feels as satisfying. im not an adrenaline junkie….but u gotta feel like YOU kept yourself on the road no?
and the aftermarket tuning you can do is impressive, id like to see what some have done to their viggens. personally after warranty ran out i replaced the brake, exhaust, springs, intake, and bought a stage 1 ecu upgrade (trionic 7). if anyone has an itch for this car, scan the used car markets for them. they are a steal… buy em, tune em, tame em 
After all these posts Swade I’m beginning to feel you’re trying to tell me something….
Nice to see another 9 list. Its been while between drinks.
The coolest thing about Viggen is that in Germany they pronounce V as F, which means that Viggen becomes Ficken. If you wonder what Ficken is, please ask your local mommy…
Oh…so you guys think it’s COOL to drive a car that’s HARD to keep on the road?
You’re only fooling yourselves; the Viggen is real crap on the road, which is the reason for it being dropped from the SAAB model lineup. Too many single accidents because of a car that just sucks really really bad when driven hard…
The engine is, I must admit, really not bad for a four-pot, but there’s nothing beating a naturally aspired V8, believe me…
Yes John, I think my Viggen is really cool. I think it’s the duck’s guts, actually. It’s incredibly comfortable, looks brilliant and is intelligently designed to get the absolute most out of a compromised base.
And I love the way it drives. It’s not perfect, but it invariably thrills and impresses me. You can all the V8’s you want, bud. Go ahead, knock yourself out.
The looks are in the eye of the beholder, so I will not comment on that. You may like the way it’s designed, and you’re entitled to it.
But “it’s not perfect” regarding how it drives is a real understatement. Since it’s basically a Vauxhall Vectra (or Opel?) underneath, maybe there is a reason for it’s crappy handling?
The Vectra isn’t exacty renowned for it’s handling abilities, now is it?
Apart from the not-so-bad four-pot, the rest of the Viggen is just hideously undrivable. The chassie doesn’t support the engine’s power levels, and the car totally disregards the driver’s intentions when hard pressed. And I just cannot understand what’s fun with that?
John, John, John
my friend i think you may have come to the wrong web site. there are plenty of sites for the type of car you would like, just type in ‘Prius’ in your search engine and you will be lead straight there
gunner712004:
This explains it all! You guys think the Prius represents the pinnacle of road handling!
The Toyota Prius…who would have known…?
Yes; I’m obviously at the wrong web site - surrounded by blind and deaf SAAB fundamentalists…but then again; it’s a free world and you guys may really think whatever you like, and I’m in no position to prevent you from that. So I really apologies for not liking the Viggen’s road abilities, and all credits to you guys who do.
i think you may have missed the english humour, oh dear
Ahh…so you were being sarcastic then? You too believe that SAABs and Toyota Priuses handle pretty much the same way?
Or is it just me being thick headed? It could be, I’m not arguing there…