The formula for success in the compact executive sector is easy. Your car needs to be quick, well-built, comfortable, good looking, handle well and be vaguely affordable. It also needed a prestigious German badge on its bonnet. Just lately, however, we've seen a slight shift in the status quo and models like Saab's 9-3 Sport Saloon have what it takes to meet and beat the Germans at their own game. The 1.8t versions are positioned towards the affordable end of the 9-3 scale and are, therefore, hugely important for the Swedish company.

It's no secret that car manufacturers generate column inches with range-topping 'halo' models but it's the more prosaic volume-selling models that have a more significant effect on the bottom line. Starting at a tempting £20,050, the 1.8t Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon's pricing effectively prices Mercedes Benz out of direct contention and makes the purchase of a basic Audi A4 or an entry-level BMW 3-Series appear something of a wilful extravagance.

All the current Saab 9-3 models benefit from a facelift based on themes from the Aero X concept car. The clamshell bonnet visually widens the front of the car and all external rubbing strips have been removed to give a cleaner look. There's a classier finish to the front grille and a set of LED light strips that sit across the top of the headlamp pod while the rear light clusters are shrouded in smoked glass. Inside, there's a more muted effect with less silver plastic.

"There's no getting away from the fact that this is currently the best buy in the junior executive class"

Saab has been successful in honing the 9-3 Sport Saloon's driving dynamics as well as clothing the car in some of the slinkiest styling ever to grace a Saab. The previous generation 9-3 made something of a speciality out of offering more performance per pound than anything from Germany could muster and the Sport Saloon continues this theme, the 150bhp engine fitted to the 1.8t models good for a sprint to 60mph in 9.5s and on to a top speed of 131mph. What's most impressive is the fact that turbo lag - that annoying pause whilst you wait for the turbo to do its thing - is as good as absent in the Saab. The engine feels more like a decently sized V6 than a 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit.

Torque is also prodigious, the Saab returning a figure of 177lb/ft. Small wonder the engine feels so muscular for one of such modest capacity. The combined fuel consumption figure of 34.4mpg is good going indeed considering the verve of the 1.8-litre unit.

The ride and handling are better than any previous mid range Saab model. Just when you think the ride has been optimised for high-speed cruising, the Saab's suspension shows that it knows what to do when presented with a corner. It deploys its power noticeably better than Saabs of yore as well.

Three trim levels are available with this engine. As well as the £20,050 Airflow version, there are the more familiar Linear SE and Vector Sport variants. The Linear SE model weighs in at £22,060 with the Vector Sport versions costing from £23,610. Even the base Airflow variant is classily appointed with a cruise control, a trip computer, dual-zone climate control, tinted windows and a punchy Saab audio system as standard. Linear SE adds rear parking sensors and the Saab comfort pack. Then you have the Vector Sport which supplements this with the sports chassis, stability control and a sports steering wheel. Buyers seeking extra practicality can also opt for the SportWagon estate model and there's also the sleek convertible to bear in mind.

The cabin of the 9-3 remains resolutely Saab with all the controls angled towards the perpetually grinning pilot. The 9-3 Sports Saloon features a dash that's more upright than Dixon of Dock Green, the ignition next to the handbrake and a cupholder mechanism that can reduce design students to hushed reverence. Safety provision runs to active head restraints plus front, side and curtain airbags.

Although you may find this hard to believe, if you add up the test scores and take into account the 9-3 1.8t's value proposition, there's no getting away from the fact that this is currently one of the best buys in the junior executive class. Many other options look either too dear, not good enough or both by comparason. For years the 9-3 was a nearly car, the sort of car that had its merits but which couldn't compete head on with the best of the rest. Those days are long gone. With just enough essential Saab DNA and enough of everything else to put a lick on established rivals, the 9-3 Sports Saloon 1.8t has the power to convert even the most hardened sceptic.

TOP 5 9-3 DEALS

The results below show the top 9-3 deals on buyacar

	Saab 9-3 1.8t Vector Sport 4dr Auto Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £404	Saving £5,492	Price £20,028
	Saab 9-3 1.8t Airflow 5dr Auto [Sat Nav] Sportwagon Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £2,934	Price £22,036
	Saab 9-3 1.8t Linear SE 4dr Auto Saloon
	ETR	Mthly £397	Saving £4,551	Price £19,389
	Saab 9-3 1.8t Vector Sport 4dr BioPower Auto Saloon
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £5,628	Price £20,477
	Saab 9-3 1.8t Airflow 4dr Auto [Sat Nav] Saloon
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £2,795	Price £21,075

typical 11.72% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000