Developing cars so in tune with Swedish tastes and Swedish lifestyles is an unlikely basis for global domination. But although Saab's annual production levels are still below the break-even line, it has managed to become a truly global brand. Bob Lutz - product czar for General Motors, Saab's owners - once said that Saab's customer base was easily the best educated of any car-maker. Trouble is, there just aren't enough of them.

I wouldn't say the new 9-3 had been dumbed down to pull in the majority of less 'thoughtful' punters, but the product has definitely been given a good de-quirking. It's a neat and tidy, if conventional, design. The traditional hatchback has been dumped but that's all the better for body stiffness and - by extension - handling and ride. Indeed, it's twice as stiff as the old 9-3 hatch. Inside, those peculiar but immensely comfortable, high-back seats have been restyled into something more mainstream (and less comfortable).

It's also hard to imagine that underneath the Swedish pressed steel is the same 'Epsilon' structure as the new Vauxhall Vectra. That's no bad thing. Saab engineers were involved in the Epsilon project from the beginning in 1996 and the 9-3 has some trick upgrades including some lighter aluminium suspension components and lighter and stiffer hollow steel anti-roll bars. The front-drive 9-3 does without the trick, double-wishbone front suspensions used by the Audi A4 and Alfa 156. To compensate, the 9-3's rear suspension has a degree of agility-enhancing passive steer.

This 9-3 Aero is the most sporting of the range. The basic ingredients are much the same as the 1.8t base model but seasoned with more than a twist of spice. The 2-litre turbocharged engine is turned up to full boost, delivering 210bhp and a hefty 221lb ft of torque at just 2500rpm. It drives through a six-speed manual 'box, where other 9-3s make do with five ratios. Top whack is a claimed 146mph, but it's the in-gear acceleration that marks out the Aero; 50-70mph in fifth is dispatched in a claimed 8.5sec, 'quicker,' says Saab, 'than many so-called supercars with twice the engine capacity'.

Saab also says the chassis has been lowered 10mm, which does a lot - along with the smart 17in wheels - for the car's looks. What really makes the Aero is the discreet bodykit, which adds an extension to the front airdam, deeper side-skirts and a very small boot spoiler. These apparently minor mods have reduced aerodynamic lift at the rear by 40 per cent and at the front by an extraordinary 70 per cent. Shouldn't they be standard on all 9-3s?

Don't expect anything like the driving experience of, say, a BMW 325i Sport. Where the German car's controls have a great feeling of weight, the Aero's have a very light action. The steering needs little effort at the rim and both the clutch and brake pedals don't need much of a prod. Since the press launch last summer the shift action of the gearbox has been greatly improved.

This sense of lightness extends to the dynamic experience. It seems to float along, untroubled by vibration from the very quiet and smooth-running engine. At first I thought the Aero chassis choppy on bad surfaces. It's not. It's just that it's so hushed on smooth surfaces that the odd thwack-thwack comes as more of shock.

This car certainly doesn't lack pace. It's immensely quick through the gears, but most noticeably so at the legal limit and beyond. The brakes are very effective, too.

But I don't care for this chassis philosophy. I'd much prefer the Aero if it had more steering weight at high speed, more of a sense of sitting four-square. On winding secondaries, the same applies. You need to steer the Aero with light, clipped inputs. It will corner with enthusiasm, but it just feels insufficiently planted.

Strictly speaking, the Aero lacks evoness; it's less about the thrill of driving, more the satisfaction of demolishing long distances in a single, devastating burst. This is not a B-road hero, nor will it engage the driver through the wheel. What the Aero will do with aplomb is swallow distance while leaving 95 per cent of traffic standing. If that's what you want from a stylish saloon that's not a BMW or Audi, the 9-3 is worth a look.