What do people remember about Saab beyond their absolute obsession with safety? A rich rally heritage, early two-stroke weirdness, turbocharged torque-steer and console-mounted ignition switches come to mind, but the thing the internet freaks out about is a series of elaborate dash-mounted cup holders.
See, when many European brands needed to introduce cup holders as key convenience features for the U.S. market, it was seemingly done so with a grudge. The tiny tangs on an E39 BMW 5 Series work better as drink-throwers than drink-holders, Mercedes-Benz’s early-2000s two-tier setup seemed simultaneously complicated and janky, and the less said about Audi’s slide-out dashboard cup holders that would spill Crystal Pepsi all over the radio and climate controls, the better. Saab, on the other hand, dared to be different.
How could it not? Even after being acquired by GM, the firm had this mindset of doing things unapologetically its way. Sometimes this resulted in wild expenses, but sometimes those expenses were beautiful. We’re talking clean, minimalist, runway-thin cup holders that pirouetted out of dashboards with elegance. Sure, they might not have gripped cups the tightest, but they were sights to behold.
These days, it feels like everyone on the internet knows about Saab’s dashboard cup holders. How could they not? With this much theater, future virality was virtually assured. It’s the sort of thing that makes the Rube Goldberg parts of our brains go “ooooh,” which makes it a magnificent item to play with in traffic. However, these flip-out cup holders aren’t the strangest Saab has offered. That would go to an even more unusual optional cup holder on the second-generation 9-3.
The early 2000s were sort-of a golden age for weird cabin storage, partly because everyone just had so much stuff. Your phone probably didn’t have a camera in it, your music was likely stored on funny silver discs, your parking was always verified by machine. Maybe that’s why the 2003 Saab 9-3 marked the arrival of something called Smart Slot. Out of the gate, it wasn’t much more than a card holder that mirrored the look of the handbrake on the other side of the center console. However, a quick perusal of the accessory catalog revealed a multitude of uses.
One of the more popular accessories and the one I’m talking about in the headline is the Smart Slot cup holder, because it grasps an aluminum can like it’s a Fushigi ball Basically, it folds into more-or-less a straight line of plastic when not in use, but both arms swivel open to accommodate your soda du jour. It’s definitely a worthwhile addition, but wait, there’s more.
Saab was from Sweden, and you don’t need an enormous grasp of geography to know that Sweden gets cold. Cold enough for not just frost, but proper ice. If you’ve never come out to an ice-coated car, you’re missing out of the pain of stuck doors and the joy of rolling down a window, seeing a sheet of ice still there, and punching that sucker out like you’re a freakin’ action hero. Unfortunately, you can’t pull that move with a windshield, so an ice scraper is a required accessory. How about an ice scraper that stows in your center console? Saab thought of that.
Okay, if I had a dollar for every pixel in this photo, I’d have seventeen yen. Still, it’s a rare look at Saab’s Smart Slot CD case. Need music on tap? Throw your second cup holder in the glovebox and click this into place. It holds six pieces of 4.72-inch optical media, and critically, you can take it with you. This might come as a shock to younger readers, but twenty-something years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to get your CDs jacked if you parked in a questionable area. If they were originals, they were like $12.99 a pop. Sure, there was Limewire, but we aren’t going to talk about it right now. Park up, grab all your CDs in one case, click the cup holder back in, boom.
The Smart Slot ruled. An unusually elegant removable cup holder that could be swapped out for an ice scraper, or a CD case, or a place to put your parking pass when you don’t want to hang it from the mirror. Sure, the cup holder was optional, but it’s a properly cool albeit pricey addition if you can find one second-hand. Oh, and because it was optional, there’s one more little thing I need to show you that was actually a standard feature.
Did you know that the Saab 9-3 SportCombi had a cup holder in the trunk for a Thermos? I bet there’s even enough space next to it for a bag of mini marshmallows to put in your cocoa.
Top graphic images: Saab
There is also an odd, barely usable cupholder under a retractable cover in the center console. The rear seat cupholder is in a weird spot, too. It’s a pop-out, but it comes from the edge of the middle seat bottom…instead of being mounted in the armrest.
One of my most angsty regrets is never having owned a Saab. I’ve ALWAYS liked them, and the few that I’ve driven have always put a smile on my face, and surprised me with their cargo capacity (in the hatch versions). I came close during the pandemic, and should have bought my neighbor’s old 9-3, but I was concerned about the trouble it had shifting into third gear and the size of the estimate it’d cost to resolve. It drove great despite this, and I probably should have bought it, since the odds of me running across a decent/affordable 99 or 900 these days seem slim. 🙁
Ford kind of leaned into this space when they introduced the Maverick, dropping a bunch of 3D printer models that you could then print on your own time to generate sorta-custom accessories. Smart trick too, since that really impresses on the endowment effect to make an owner feel even more invested in the vehicle.
ok about an hour ago I was JUST in the extremely specific situation of having to carry multiple beverages in my second-gen 9-3, and wishing that I had a smart slot cupholder.
Still miss Saab weirdness
Mini tried something similar with a rail system in the Countryman and Paceman. I believe they had a sunglass case, center console, phone holder and a few other items. Kind of neat that we tried to find removable center storage items in the past.
I had a 2010 9-3x and a friend gave me the smart slot ice scraper as a birthday gift (in like 2023!). It was so useless but when I got rid of the car, I was sure to keep it as a memento
Unexpected to see a de-branded Charlet Moser Axar ice tool show up in a photo on a car site.
i married into a 9-3 (which i loved) and had no idea. i played with that cover nonstop while idling in traffic. my wife and i would use it to make sarcastic “phone calls” while the other person was driving. and to now find out it has literally 101 uses? amazing.
Now I understand why the console is designed that way! From an aesthetic standpoint, the ‘ticket slot’ (which has a rather obscure cover over it and can be used to house other things…particularly long, thin, and cylindrical 😉 ) balances out the integrated hand brake on the opposite side, so I assumed that was its value.
Now I must make it my mission to find an ice scraper if not the spring loaded can holder!
Not mentioned is that there is already a conventional cupholder just behind the ignition switch so the spring-loaded one would make 3 available cupholders for the front passengers.
However, said ignition switch is already in the target zone with the integrated cupholder; adding a second cupholder in the same area doubles the chances of a sticky and wet switch situation.
I am mostly unfamiliar with the quirky ways of Saab, but being a Swedish company from the world of “Scandinavian design,” their elite cupholder offerings don’t surprise me.
The main thing “Saab” brings to mind is my favorite vanity plate I ever saw, on a Saab back in my 80s childhood: “SNAAB.”
That’s one of my favorites too. I think it was a thing to do in many states.
I used to use the third row cup holders in our Mazda5 like the Sport Combi ones. I’d put extra bottles or empty coffee mugs back there
Yeah I’m always tossing empty bike water bottles in there so they don’t roll around on the way home.
The Mazda5 also has the little stowaway center cupholder/table/storage basket in the center row passenger seat. We don’t use it much because we like to have the pass through open for the dog, but it’s neat.
Cup holder in the trunk? Those Swedish kidnappers are very considerate.
If I had that cup holder in the video, one of my children would immediately want to see what happens when you push that button with a full can of root beer in it.
Neither of my Saabs had these accessories, but I loved showing the dash cupholder to passengers, some of which were crazy enough to try it. Only took me once with a small cup of capped coffee to realize what a fine earthquake detector Saab had installed. Ain’t no Tyrannosaurus sneaking up on me!
Love these cars. 9-3 would’ve sold much better if the interior wasn’t made out of duplos. Infuriating how much better the interior quality is on my 9-5, especially as the NG 9-3 is a fairly reliable car with a lot of positives (including incredible mileage for a turbo engine with the 2.0).
Night and day. I was shocked by how bad the interior quality was when I bought a 9-3 aero SS after having had a 9-5 aero sedan and wagon, though I prefer the 6mt gearbox on the 9-3 to the rubbery shifter on big brother. Half the trim pieces can just snap off with a gentle tug, plus the sticky soft-touch control surfaces everywhere. It could have been so much better without adding much to the price, but the GM bean counters prevailed.
My Volvo workshop has some old Saabs as “rentals”, so when you bring in your car for repairs. Last time I got the 9-3. And yes…boy…the materials are poor.
On the other hand I have to say: It was a 1.8 turbo and I was quite surprised by the rest of the car even though it had around 200000km on the clock. for a FWD car it has a really great handling.
This is true. I went from an ‘03 9-5 to an ‘08 9-3 convertible and the latter does not feel like a $40k vehicle when new.
I miss the idea of the 9-5 wagon I threw money at for about 10 years to keep on the road. But I don’t miss the fluid leaks, disposable ignition cassettes and ABS sensors, mystery CELs, etc.
See also: the way I miss the idea of my 1995 VR6 GTI, but don’t miss the couple grand spent chasing electrical gremlins that would brick the car before that word gained verb status. The most likely scenario: stopping for gas on the way to work, then then turning the key for literally nothing to happen, until I prayed/cursed it into lighting up and lighting off.
I’ve never bought such a lemon and then sold the next guy such a well-sorted car. He got a helluva better deal on it than I did.
I had an 08’ 9-3 SC Aero XWD with the limited slip rear axle and 6 speed manual transmission. I miss that car and regret selling it… Anyhow, that weird foldy in dash cup holder got stuck inside the dash twice and had to use very thin plastic rods and a credit card like I was picking a lock to free it.
Center console I had that weird spring cup holder, worked ok for 12oz cans but water bottles or coffee cups – no spill city which was a panic event with the center console key. I did try the ice scraper accessory too, it was ok but not great and felt flimsy taking it in and out constantly so I just went back to the weird cup holder. CD was kinda redundant since my 08’ had the GM OEM 6 disc CD changer.
I miss you Saab.
I had that cupholder for my ’08 9-3SC.
I’ve seen the slot but not the accessories
There is a independent Saab mechanic near my office. He just switched to Subaru work but still does Saab’s. I love seeing them on my office walks. I miss Saab.
This is the natural progression
This is what happened in Birmingham. Grrr. Good dude, though, and it was a smart thing to do for his business.
There is still an independent Saab mechanic in Tucson. It only does Saabs. I suppose knowing Tucson I shouldn’t be surprised.
I love that last shot for the Thermos holder. A casual ice axe just sitting there with a rope. No other gear in shot. So I guess they are just going for a casual lunchtime climb up their nearby ice wall.
It is the Swedish way.
The Thermos holder thingie in the 9-3 Sport Combi might have been an accessory; from stock, there’s a carpeted cover (matching the cargo floor) over a storage cubby on each side of the floor. In my 9-3, I have a couple ratchet straps in one side’s cubby, and a couple spare ignition coils in the other. The Combi also came with a 12V port in the back cargo area, plus another storage spot between the cargo floor and spare tire well.
one handed no less.
The other hand must be full of Tunnbrödsrulle
Funny story, I got to go ice climbing a number of years ago, and my friend fell and one axe stuck in the ice above her. She had to climb up one handed to retrieve it.
Ice tools, not axe! It looks like a Charlet Moser Pulsar. A damn fine leashed tool, but a museum piece these days.
Sounds exactly like something I’d expect a Swede to do, actually.
Perhaps so, but I instead have one of the later perfectly normal two-stroke 96 sedans.
I can never get over the rear fender cutline on those that managed to look exactly like an orphaned rear door shutline due to a fender shared with the four door model, when there was no four door model.
As I said, perfectly normal.
Man – I had a V-6 powered Aero and remember that slot. I always wondered what it was for and decided it was for parking passes or toll tickets. However, the ice scraper seems vaguely familiar.
I know it was derided for being even more of a GM product, but I liked it despite its propensity to eat brakes and suspension bits. I still see some every so often (not the 6 cylinder), and they look remarkably fresh.
I think I remember the salesman telling us you could put toll tickets in it – but the printed brochure (remember those!) had the accessories as shown here. Missing SAAB.
That smartslot ice scraper is the most snowbelt thing I’ve seen a manufacturer add to their car. You’d think Saab was Scandinavian or something. And it’s nice to have a ‘smart’ thing with absolutely zero electronics.
I do love Saab being Volvo’s artistic/creative little brother. Life was never boring.