2009 Saab 9-3 Family retains Top Safety Pick award in US

This is the fifth consecutive year that the 9-3 Sport Sedan has brought home IIHS top honours, a unique achievement in the luxury segment. In 2007 the 9-3 earned the [B][I]Top Safety Pick Award[/B][/I], and in 2006 the 9-3 earned the [B][I]Top Safety Pick - Gold Award[/B][/I]. The 9-3 sedan also received a [B][I]Double Best Pick[/B][/I] crash-test rating in 2005.

The institute began testing convertibles in 2007 and the Saab 9-3 Convertible took top spot in the inaugural year of testing. This is the third year running that the Saab 9-3 Convertible earns the Top Safety Pick Award - one of three convertibles and the only soft-top convertible to come out on top.

The Institute awards vehicles with ratings of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on their performance in high-speed front and side-impact crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries. Winning vehicles must earn good ratings in all three tests and offer electronic stability control.

"The Saab 9-3 earned the Institute's highest rating in front and side crash tests, and the Saab Active Head Restraints provide state-of-the-art protection against neck injuries in rear-end crashes," said IIHS President Adrian Lund. "The addition of electronic stability control as standard equipment confirms Saab's commitment to vehicle safety."

"We are delighted that these IIHS findings confirm our own crash test results," says Per Lenhoff, head of Safety at Saab Automobile AB in Sweden. "This reassures consumers that the 9-3 is among the very best in its class for crash safety."

As part of its on-going work with crash safety, Saab has led the automotive industry in pioneering the development of active head restraints to help prevent neck injury in rear-end impacts. Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR) are standard equipment on the front seats of all its current car models. The 9-3 Convertible is also equipped with Saab Dynacage, which includes pop-up roll bars to help provide protection in the event of a roll-over crash or an impact that could lead to a roll-over.

Every new Saab comes with 3 years warranty and 5 years free service.

Visit www.saab.com.sg for more information.

[B]About Saab[/B]

Saab is GM's European premium brand, reflecting a unique Scandinavian design ethic, fused with a strong aircraft engineering heritage. Saab's distinctive cars benefit from the best of GM's worldwide capability, while being engineered and designed to cater for the exacting requirements of the global premium motorist. Saab was founded in Sweden in 1937 as Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company), revealing the prototype for its first aircraft-inspired passenger car in 1947. 60 years later, Saab is still recognised as the premium car manufacturer for independent-minded drivers. In Singapore, Saab is solely distributed by Trans Eurokars, one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic distributors of premium automotive brands in Singapore.

[B]About Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IHSS)[/B]

IIHS is a non-profit research and communications organization funded by auto insurers. The Institute's research focuses on countermeasures aimed at all three factors in motor vehicle crashes (human, vehicular, and environmental) and on interventions that can occur before, during, and after crashes to reduce losses.

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Credits: JRC