The bold new nose on the 2008 Saab 9-3 is a direct descendant of the nose on the Aero-X concept coupe that Saab displayed on the auto show circuit a couple of years ago, and that, coupled with the complete absence of Saab's traditional black side-molding for door protection, is the biggest clue that this is the new 9-3.

The tail lights have been redesigned for 2008 along with the hood, grille, bumper, and headlights. Also new are the doors and door handles. All models have side sill extensions for an extra measure of sportiness.

That adds up to a total of 70 percent new body panels.

The new nose works very well in the wind tunnel, yielding a drag coefficient of 0.28 for the sedan, a very good number.