Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 28 December 2004 - The Thatcham British insurance research centre has awarded the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan its top rating, following extensive crash testing of seats and head restraints from 114 different cars on sale in Europe. The tests evaluated protection against neck injury in the event of a rear-end impact.
Seat performance is classified as "Poor", "Marginal", "Acceptable" or "Good, with the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan being rated as "Good". This excellent result for the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan comes just one month after it received the "Best Pick" nomination in a side collision test by the American IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). The front seats in Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan come as standard with Saab's active head restraint (SAHR), which has been developed to reduce the relative movement between head and lower back in a rear-end impact.
The head restraint is mounted at the top of a frame inside the seat-back which pivots at its mid point. In a rear-end impact, the occupant's lower back comes into contact with the bottom portion of the seat-back. The upper half of the frame which, carries the head restraint, moves upwards and forwards, catching the occupant's head, thus helping to minimize the amount of whiplash movement.
"The major tests of head restraints that are now performed by Thatcham and similar organisations in other countries, such as the US and Germany, show that the pioneering work carried out by Saab is now bearing fruit," says Fadi Ghosn, Regional Marketing Manager for Premium Brands, General Motors. "Although a rear-end collision seldom results in life-threatening injury, it is the kind of accident that can cause permanent injuries and unnecessary suffering. The latest tests confirm the results that Saab and others, such as the Swedish insurance company Folksam, have recorded in impartial tests."
Thatcham's test consists of two sections, one geometrical and one dynamic. In the first part, the position of the head restraint, relative to position of the head, is measured on a crash test dummy representing a mid-sized grown-up man. A crash test is then performed with a seat mounted on a sled. A "BioRID" dummy is used which has been developed co-operatively by Chalmer's Technical University of Sweden, Saab Automobile, Volvo and Autoliv for this purpose.
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About Saab
Saab is a division of General Motors Corporation, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer. Founded in 1937 in Sweden, the Saab brand was bought out in full by GM in 2000 and today markets and sells cars to more than 60 countries around the world. Saab has long been a trusted manufacturer of vehicles that seamlessly combine high performance, first class safety, distinctive design and state-of-the art technology.
The models sold in the Middle East by Saab today - the Saab 9-3 sedan and convertible and the Saab 9-5 sedan and wagon - provide a very special driving experience, combining turbocharged power, total safety and sophisticated design. Saab continues to expand its portfolio, developing state-of-the-art concept cars such as the no-compromise Saab 9-3x all-wheel drive sports car, the comprehensive Saab 9x and the progressive Saab 9-3 Sports Hatch, each providing a tantalising glimpse of the future of the Saab driving experience.
About Thatcham
For more information on Thatcham and the test, please visit: http://www.thatcham.org/
For more information:
Saada Hammad
Communications and Public Relations Manager
General Motors Middle East
Tel Dubai (009714) 3143350
e-mail saada.hammad@gm.com
© Press Release 2004
