when did Saab (aka GM) stop making NG900's? was is 2003?

The NG900 was replaced by the 9-3 in 1998

Then, the next question is:

When did SAAB stop making the "first generation" 9-3?

/Bengt, owner of a 2002 SAAB 9-3 5d Sports Edition

and it was a relatively mild makeover from 98 NG900 to the 99 9-3. So really, the NG900 lives on today rebadged.

-Fred W

Uh - I thought that for 2003 9-3 was a brand new car. It certainly looks different and the hatchback disappeared.

I mostly agree on the '98 to '99 as a mild makeover. Things like there were only turbo's after '99 isn't what I'd call "mild" though.

-meld

Fred W wrote:

Thanks. Does this mean that NG900's were not produced after 1998, or did they keep rolling out of the factory for a bit longer (just like the C900's did after the NG900's were released)?

Regards,

Craig.

According to Saab advertising the first 9-3 had over 1000 improvements.

And according to other sources within the SAAB organization that I have spoken to there were about 1100 item that was changed from NG900 to 9-3 (first generation).

/Bengt

I wonder if someone has a list of the 1100 changes?

Some of them were relatively small... like we changed the washers on the convertible top control arms, that sort of thing. The number is rather meaningless.

FWIW, many parts still interchange from the NG900 to 9~3. The big exterior differences were the bumper covers and side skirts, if included. I think everything else still bolts on, car for car. The grill changed but they are interchangeable. The rear lights vary but they varied within the NG900 line. The convertible top mechanism got a rework. There are minor trim differences in the interior. Motors went turbo only in the USA and they bumped the HP a little with ECU changes. Eventually the 185HP motor went away. Tronic-7 came out in 2000(?). All of the accumulated fixes from the NG900 were included, of course.

Still more evolution than revolution. Most parts plug-n-play from one to the other until 2003.

The most obvious change (in my opinion) was that the rear license plate was relocated to a position between the rear lights. Before they were located under the rear light panel. In my opinion the change really enhanced the look of the car.

But it returned. At least in 2002 you could order the 9-3 (first generation) with a 185 HP engine.

/Bengt

An attempt to clear this up: AFAIK, the last 9^3 in the US was the 2002 model and the NG9^3 was a 2003 model. The NG 9^3 is a completely new car with new/different engine/transmission, platform, etc. Complicating this is that the NG900/9^3 carried over as the convertible until a NG9^3 could be made in 2004. The original 9^3 (1998-2002) was merely an evolution of the NG900 (1994-1997) and IMO should be included in any NG900 site, not that I'd own another one.

$0.02

KeithG

Craig's NG900 Site wrote:

My 2000 93 has it. Standard engine in the Canadian (and I would think the US) version of the non-SE 93.

The light bar across the back change the look significantly. I think the '95 & 96 had no center light, '97 & 98 had the light again, and '98.5 (9~3) lost it again.

I don't think it did come back in the USA.... but now I have to go check. :-)