George Achorn

Yellow Saabs are nothing new—Trollhattan built sunshine-hued cars back in the '60s and '70s, just like everyone else. But in its more recent history, whenever Saab wants to get a little attention, it paints its cars—especially its convertibles—bright yellow. Look no further than 1993’s Monte Carlo Yellow Special Edition Turbo, or the drop-top Viggen painted the same color. And they’re at it again with the more refined and less racy Lynx Yellow, on the current generation of 9-3 Convertible.

The car you see here is a 2008 model. Last year, the yellow paint was paired with a trunk spoiler, 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels and Saab’s premium audio option on 140 U.S.-bound convertibles for a $2,495 option package. The Lynx Package didn’t carry over for 2009, but the equipment can all still be had, as can the bold yellow finish.

Under the hood of our open-air tester is Saab’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. In an era where big, not-so-efficient engines have been most fashionable, two liters may seem rather small, but Saab has a tradition of doing more with less. With the aid of forced induction, the little mill is good for 210 hp at 5500 rpm and 221 lb-ft. of torque from a relatively low 2500 rpm.

Our tester came fitted with Saab’s optional ($1,350) five-speed Sentronic automatic transmission, and that’s likely how most customers will buy them. However, a six-speed manual is standard fare on the 9-3 2.0t and it’d likely be our box of choice given the power figures of the more conservative engine choice.

Considering the 9-3 convertible weighs in at 3800 lbs, it should come as no surprise that it’s no acceleration champ—still, it’s enough for the casual owner who wants a stylish ride in which to soak up some UV. The trip from 0-60 is slightly slower than the lighter 9-3 sedan, but the convertible will still bust below eight seconds. Once under way, power delivery is what we’ve come to know from this powertrain combo—a hint of turbo lag off the line, but plenty of power for passing maneuvers at speed. Fuel consumption figures are typical for the class, falling at 18 mpg city and 24 on the highway.

Our 9-3 featured Saab’s lighter Parchment leather combination, no doubt a wise choice in a car that may often be parked top-down in the sun. Sure, the light color may require a bit more work to keep clean, but your glutes will thank you for not choosing the more easily maintained black option. Even with the lighter innards, Saab smartly makes the base carpeting black—no doubt parchment carpeting would show every speck of dirt.

Parking with the top down is a great opportunity to show off the attractive lines of the interior. The handsome satin aluminum trimwork stands out, as does the rollover of exterior color on the tops of the door panels. We could do without the faux wood trim, which seems a little bit cheap for a car that prices just shy of $50,000. Of course, with two turbo'd engines offered—the 2.0t and a 2.8-liter turbo six—every convertible also includes the legendary Saab boost gauge in the instrument cluster.

Outside, the 9-3's freshened face and its ice-like jewel taillights make for a very attractive shape. The spoiler on the rear deck is subtle, and gives the slightly bulbous tail more of an edge. This generation may lack the sloping trunk of the original 900, but there’s still no mistaking the 9-3 convertible for anything but a Saab.

The 9-3 competes with the Audi A4 cabriolet, the BMW 3 Series convertible, and the Volvo C70. Both the Bimmer and the Volvo get folding hard tops—a new trend in convertibles—but the 9-3 benefits from a larger, more functional cargo area as a result of its conventional cloth top. Looking to the future of Saab convertible, the 9-X Air concept features a buttressed rear pillar with a retracting convertible top, so it’s possible this Swede may skip the folding hardtop revolution entirely.

At $45,680, as tested with our model, the 2009 Saab 9-3 convertible is certainly not cheap, but it’s not terribly expensive, either. In the end, the 9-3 convertible is a handsome and versatile drop-top that offers reasonably exclusive admission to the world of premium European open-top motoring.