As SAAB'S mainstay, accounting for two thirds of its sales, the 9-3 has driven its recent success, therefore it's vital that they get the latest mid-life facelift right.

Saab executives say they have redefined the new 9-3 using three guiding principles, which happily cover most aspects of the car.

The first of these is progressive design - while in many respects the revised 9-3 looks very similar to the outgoing model, there are actually 2,000 changes (70 per cent of the external panels being new) and the inspiration for the look has come from Saab's concept award-winning Aero X.

And for the make-over Saab has decided that less is more.

So out go some of the details such as side rubbing strips on the doors, which also feature new handles and side sills to give them a cleaner cut, less decorated and more Scandinavian feel, while the tail lights are simpler and fit better into the flowing bumper.

All the bodywork forward of the A pillar is new so there is a new bumpers and front splitter plus revised light assemblies.

Most obvious is the bolder and wider face with its trapezodial air intake grille and the semi-overlapping clam shell bonnet which gives it a strong road presence and more physical substance.

Making its even more distinctive are eyebrow running lights that are on all the time (much in the same way as the latest Audis) giving it a bit of personality. Aero versions also gain a bolder air intake to make it stand out from the crowd.

Unusually, and perhaps not quite making the most of the promotional opportunity, Saab is launching all three 9-3 bodystyles at the same time.

This means the Saloon, Estate and Convertible are all on sale now... the latter retaining the fabric roof rather than converting to a folding hard-top as most of their rivals have done - that's going to have to wait for the next generation 9-3.

Saab also takes the 9-3 into cleaner territory inside with black rather than grey being the preferred colour choice and the dash board, although still high and wide and slightly intimid-ating, is simpler in layout which is pleasing. There is also the option of softer leather upholstery to snuggle into.

Specification includes dual zone climate control, chilled glove box, cruise control, multi-function computer with information display, tinted windows, heat absorbent glass and seven-speaker CD player.

BOSE has been brought in to provide the optional audio sounds from an 11-speaker system, while a tyre pressure monitor is also on the extras list.

Saab has taken the opportunity to simplified its model range, which now consists of four rather than seven derivatives.

The new trim levels start with the less than basic Airflow moving onto the Linear SE (which gains items such as rear parking sensors and a comfort pack) before reaching the Vector Sport (a more sporting chassis set-up and leather steering wheel) all topped off by the Aero with its unique bumpers and twin sports exhausts as well as bi-xenon headlights and heated front seats.

The second of Saab's essentials is what it describes as responsible performance - which means plenty of torque from the engines rather than outright power.

This also includes consider-ation for the environ-ment and safety.

The first of these is, in part, covered by Saab's Bio-fuel abilities.

Saab is Europe's top bio-fuel supplier and in Sweden bio fuel cars account for a massive 90 per cent of sales.

However, its going to be tougher to crack the UK market, mainly because of the availability of bio-fuel and a general reluctance on the part of British drivers to change from what they know.

But they might well appreciate the fact that running on BioEthanol E85 models such as the aluminium 2 litre turbo see a significant increase in power. Using petrol this version has 175bhp on tap but 200bhp when running on E85, which is good for 60mph in under eight seconds.

The 2 litre petrol unit is actually available in three power modes; 150bhp, 175bhp and 210bhp, all of which feature better performance and fuel consumption figures than before.

Due to join the engine line-up at the end of the year is a new and rather impressive four cylinder 1.9 TTiD twin turbodiesel which has a significant 180bhp at its disposal.

This boasts masses of torque and excellent acceleration thanks to instant torque at low speeds via the low-inertia small turbo and top end power provided by the bigger turbo for sustained acceleration.

Boasting a 62mph dash time of 10.4 seconds is also returns over 47mpg which is a 25 per cent gain over the standard 150bhp versions and will be a significant addition to the Saab family.

The rest of the all turbocharged engine line-up includes the big selling 1.9 TiD (150bhp) which has good mid-range torque while being refined and friendly and best of all its returns 44.8mpg.

Topping the range and only available on the Aero specification, is an all aluminium 2.8 litre V6 developing 255bhp capable of reaching 60mph in a rapid 7 seconds.

A close ratio six-speed manual gearbox is standard on all the engines except the 150bhp Turbo while a six speed automatic transmission is offered with the 2.8 V6 and both the diesel engines and a five speed version is available on all the other engines - each includes Saab Sentronic sequential manual gearshift.

The final tier in Saab's latest 9-3 philosophy is a focus on a sporting drive and starts with SportDrive on the automatic transmission which can be selected via an instrument panel button to change the gear selection for more effective engine braking and quicker acceleration when required.

Although there are no major chassis changes, many of the components have been upgraded to make the car quieter and also slightly firmer so that it holds the road better.

Still to come for the handling package is Saab's new compact and lightweight Cross Wheel Drive system, which goes into production in early 2008. It can provide 100 per cent of the drive to the front or the rear wheels and uses a limited slip differential and Haldex clutch, which can transmit power diagonally across the car. It features pre-emptive engagement to the rear wheels to optimise traction at take-off. It will appear first on the Saab Turbo X powered by the 2.8 litre V6 turbo engine when it is introduced early next year.

In the meantime, prices for the new 9-3 range from £18,575 to £34,495.