When I was in high school our guidance counselor predicted the farthest I’d ever go geographically was Chicago. He bragged that in his lifetime he had been to Angola, Brazil, Morocco and Lebanon. Years later I discovered these were all cities in Indiana … and he’d never even been to Chicago.

I thought of this recently as I sat down for dinner with some colleagues at the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC to hear about the new 2008 Saab 9-3 – Sweden’s newest export. Since first entering the North American market in 2003, Saab has sold more than 120,000 of them. From what I experienced driving the new version it’s not going to take any five years to surpass that number.

The 9-3 comes in three body styles – Sport Sedan, SportCombi (grow up…it’s a station wagon…and a good-looking one at that) and Convertible. The Sport Sedan and SportCombi are available with front-wheel-drive and for the first time, all-wheel-drive (AWD). The Convertible is only available in FWD. Saab’s AWD is actually an XWD (cross-wheel-drive) and features innovative developments in wheel slip management and, as an option, the use of an electronically-controlled rear limited-slip differential. Saab’s XWD is a fully automatic, on-demand system capable of sending up to 100% of engine torque to the front or rear wheels. This fine balance of the drive torque between the front and rear axles raises the threshold at which ESP throttle and braking interventions are triggered, allowing more driver involvement. For instance, during highway cruising, only 5 percent to 10 percent of engine torque is transmitted to the rear wheels. For less-than-ideal conditions let the Swede do the job.

If it’s Swedish it must be safe and Saab doesn’t disappoint. The safety structure is designed with front and rear crumple zones. Crash test configurations are based on real-life research. Roof rail air bags protect side and severe frontal impacts. Air bag/safety belt deployment is performed by sophisticated sensors. The Saab 9-3 is equipped with many chassis control dynamics, steering and brake features that help drivers avoid crashes. Available are Electronic Stability Program, Mechanical Brake Assistance, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Cornering Brake Control. Optional cornering bi-xenon headlights provide better night vision and the steering-linked bulbs can swivel up to 15-degrees when going around a bend or corner at about nine mph. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard.

The styling of the 2008 9-3 is quintessential Saab. It has taken a lot of cues from the Aero X concept car, including the deep, prominent evolution of the grille that’s complemented by sweeping headlamp units that incorporate a thin “eyebrow” lighting zone. The grille’s central wing motif is retained as a reflection of Saab’s aircraft heritage. The “clamshell” hood has been retained. It closes across the top of the front fenders and the hood stamping incorporates a U-shaped styling line.

The doors and bumpers of the SportCombi and Sport Sedan are clean and clutter-free. The Convertible has color-keyed rub strips on the doors. The Convertible features a color-keyed tonneau cover that’s flush-fitting and when the top is up the car assumes the persona of a coupe.

It’s not that often that a three-member “family” has such distinct individuals. Externally they’re all different but under the hood beats the heart of a Saab. Actually three hearts if you want to get technical on me. First at bat is a take-no-prisoners 210 horsepower I-4. The turbocharged intercooled 2.0-liter engine puts out 221 pound-feet of torque. It’s the powerplant that’s standard on the 2.0T FWD.

The upscale offerings are two, 2.8-liter V-6s. The standard V-6 in the 9-3 Aero FWD puts out 255 horsepower and 158 pound-feet of torque. The Aero XWD’s standard V-6 numbers are 280 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. There’s nothing “neutral” about either engine … they’ve both declared war on highways.

A close-ratio six-speed manual transmission is standard. It’s noticeably smooth when shifting and very quiet during acceleration.

A five-speed automatic is exclusive to the 2.0T and a six-speed automatic is exclusive on the Aero. You aren’t going to go wrong with either choice. The 2.0T comes with 16-inch x 6.5-inch fourteen-spoke alloy wheels and the Aero comes with 17-inch x 7.5-inch five-spoke low-split alloy wheels.

We test drove the 2008 9-3s through a mix of curvy, hilly and straight roads in the Virginia countryside and it dared us to challenge it. The handling was superb and there was no evidence of head toss – the scourge of us motion-sicknessers. It’s an all-day car.

Whoever designed the driver’s seating position must be as pliable as the Pillsbury Doughboy. There is no way to be uncomfortable no matter how much you do…or don’t weigh. There’s a multi-adjustable driver’s seat and a tilt/telescope steering wheel but even if you forget to adjust this you won’t notice it until your mind has been cleared of everything else.

When belted in you’re facing an instrument panel that has been designed so the gauges and controls are logically grouped. A large speedometer is flanked by smaller tachometer and engine information dials that are recessed. The dials themselves are softly illuminated in green – Saab’s choice for a more restful color for night driving.

The center console sports an innovatively “disguised” handbrake and in true Saab tradition, the ignition switch is alongside the handbrake. The dash area is highlighted in matte chrome and the HVAC controls are well within reach of the driver and passenger. Rear-seaters have their own adjustable air vents, reading lights, cupholders, center armrest and gobs of storage space.

As I stated earlier there’s a resemblance to previous Saabs. However, Steve Shannon, Saab’s General Manager, stated there are 2,157 changes from the previous 9-3.

MSRP for the 2.0T Sport Sedan is $28,385 and $35,365 for the V-6 Aero Sedan. These prices include a $745 destination fee. The SportCombi 2.0T starts at $29,630 and the Aero V-6 SportCombi begins at $36,265. Finally, the 2.0T Convertible and Aero Convertible (which was named a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2007) is priced at $39,710 and $45,665 respectively. You can jack these prices up quite a bit by selection of the multitude of optional and available equipment. The world is your car payment, my friend.

If you can’t make it to Sweden itself, head down to your nearest Saab dealer and “tour the countryside.” He’ll be glad to be your guide.