Saab wanted to preserve its traditional “hockey stick” beltline while creating a useful wagon with maximum utility. The 2006 Saab 9-3 SportCombi’s rakish D-pillars do what they can to create a more traditional fastback profile, but the SportCombi still resembles a station wagon more than it does a classic Saab 900. The high-mounted taillights are LED units with red lenses. Clear-lens taillights – standard throughout the world except the United States – are optional through the dealer rather than standard because, according to California law, taillight lenses must be red. Though handsome in a generic kind of way, the 9-3 SportCombi isn’t much to look at in standard trim – the Aero’s larger, more aggressive wheels and tires go a long way toward giving the SportCombi some much needed attitude.

Saab says the 9-3’s interior is designed from “the driver outward,” meaning that everything from control placement to seating position is optimized for the driver. Apparently, in Sweden, that means so many darn buttons sprayed all over the dashboard that operating the 9-3’s myriad controls becomes a major distraction while underway. Making things worse, the buttons all seem to be exactly the same size and shape, with the exact same lettering, so you’ve gotta hunt through the jumble of controls to find the function you want. This could certainly be simplified. Saab designers only need to take a look inside a Lexus to see how it’s done.

Interior materials are decent for a luxury car, about what you expect at this price point. The leather in the standard 9-3 SportCombi is a bit rough with an elephant skin texture. The fake wood looks good, but probably works better with the tan interior. Nice touches inside the standard model include silver cabin accents, a woven cloth headliner, and two-tone décor. The sunroof on our test example, a $1,200 option, included one-touch control for opening only, and was rather small. You expect more for a price tag like that.

Saab has done a good job of providing storage and cargo areas inside the 9-3 SportCombi. The glovebox is positively huge; illuminated, cooled, and lined with a rubber insert. The center console storage area includes a 12-volt power outlet, and is average in size. Front door bins are nicely sized to accommodate a variety of items. There’s a small tray just forward of the shifter, and each front seat has a webbed pocket on the leading edge. In back, storage pockets are included on both rear seatbacks, and small bins are integrated into the door panels.

In the cargo compartment, the floor lifts to split the load area into two separate areas and to reveal underfloor storage cubbies. Saab says that the amount of space behind the rear seats is identical to the slightly larger 2006 9-5 SportCombi. The 9-3 SportCombi’s tailgate is made of aluminum to make it easy to swing closed, the 60/40 split rear seats fold down easily, and there are lots of cargo tie-downs in the lavishly furnished carrying compartment. If you’re hauling passengers and skis, there’s a pass-through slot in the rear seatback for convenience. Note that if you’re at least six-feet-tall, you must watch your head on the corners of the tailgate when it’s raised.