I has it! Micro-review inside.
Seat and general cabin
The seat is very, very good. This is a comfy car. It's been cold and bleak and northern (like you think of northern) up here today, and the bumwarmers are quick and the dual-zone climate get things toasty quickly. The radio is OK. Haven't blasted any of my banging choons yet, but Radio 4 sounded very agreeable; and the stereo has an aux input on the front panel. The BT phone connection is good too. Very clear at both ends (and piss easy to set up). A pleasingly low level of road noise comes through.
Steering and driving
I like it. Definitely more agile than the Volvo. Steering is a little light, but that's electric power steering for you, I suppose. Turns in very nicely. Pedals are responsive without being twitchy (like French cars can be, where the clutch is all in the top inch etc). Brakes are strong but I'm a super smooth driver so didn't have to test them.
Engine and performance
Bear in mind I've just come from a turbo petrol engine that only comes alive at >4K RPM, so I'm still going "cor" at the low-end torque. It's a diesel so it makes tractor noises, but once warm it quiets down nicely. The six-speed gearbox is very compliant and precise-feeling. This is a car for MPGverts. On paper its combined figure is 60MPG. I didn't figure out how to reset the MPG thinger until I got home but I've been a mile down the road and back, through two sets of traffic lights (I needed beer from the shop, alright?) and just doing that it's reading 29MPG. I'll really find out next week when I commute in it.
Numbers
1.9 diesel twin turbo, 160BHP, 360NM torque. £110 tax (122g/km CO2). Top speed 147MPH (ha!) 0-60 in 9.3 sec. Motorway 70mpg, urban 50mpg, combined 60mpg.
So, upcoming modifications: I'll be tuning this bad boy with a boot-liner and some new mats. I've already fitted an aftermarket dog guard from Halfords (£30!) and if it's shit, I'll get the proper Saab one which is £130.
The seat is very, very good. This is a comfy car. It's been cold and bleak and northern (like you think of northern) up here today, and the bumwarmers are quick and the dual-zone climate get things toasty quickly. The radio is OK. Haven't blasted any of my banging choons yet, but Radio 4 sounded very agreeable; and the stereo has an aux input on the front panel. The BT phone connection is good too. Very clear at both ends (and piss easy to set up). A pleasingly low level of road noise comes through.
Steering and driving
I like it. Definitely more agile than the Volvo. Steering is a little light, but that's electric power steering for you, I suppose. Turns in very nicely. Pedals are responsive without being twitchy (like French cars can be, where the clutch is all in the top inch etc). Brakes are strong but I'm a super smooth driver so didn't have to test them.
Engine and performance
Bear in mind I've just come from a turbo petrol engine that only comes alive at >4K RPM, so I'm still going "cor" at the low-end torque. It's a diesel so it makes tractor noises, but once warm it quiets down nicely. The six-speed gearbox is very compliant and precise-feeling. This is a car for MPGverts. On paper its combined figure is 60MPG. I didn't figure out how to reset the MPG thinger until I got home but I've been a mile down the road and back, through two sets of traffic lights (I needed beer from the shop, alright?) and just doing that it's reading 29MPG. I'll really find out next week when I commute in it.
Numbers
1.9 diesel twin turbo, 160BHP, 360NM torque. £110 tax (122g/km CO2). Top speed 147MPH (ha!) 0-60 in 9.3 sec. Motorway 70mpg, urban 50mpg, combined 60mpg.
So, upcoming modifications: I'll be tuning this bad boy with a boot-liner and some new mats. I've already fitted an aftermarket dog guard from Halfords (£30!) and if it's shit, I'll get the proper Saab one which is £130.