2003 Saab 9-3

midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan

2003 Saab 9-3 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Roof strength

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2003-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Saab 9-3 Linear 4-door

The Saab 9-3 was redesigned for the 2003 model year.

The frontal offset crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the 9-3, known as the SportCombi, beginning with its introduction in the 2006 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

Dummy movement was well controlled. During rebound, the dummy's head hit only the deployed side curtain airbag, its fabric cover, and the head restraint.<strong> </strong>.

There was little change in the position of the dummy's feet following the crash test. Injury risk was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0306
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 6
Left (cm) 8
Center (cm) 14
Right (cm) 13
Brake pedal (cm) 8
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 3
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -1
Rearward (cm) -5
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 2

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0306
Head
HIC-15 164
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm) 8
Maximum Nij 0.20
Chest maximum compression (mm) 37
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 2.0
Femur force - right (kN) 5.0
Knee displacement - left (mm) 2
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.29
Maximum tibia index - right 0.38
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.3
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 1.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 62
Right 65

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2003-11 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 3,344 lbs
Peak force 11,482 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 3.43

How the roof strength test is conducted