ORANDO, Fla. (Tribune Media) - Wails, teeth-gnashing and general sobbing echoed from Trollhattan, Sweden, where Saabs are built, when General Motors bought the company.

Saab traditionalists want their ignition keys located in the center console. They want their cars shaped like overturned bathtubs. They do not want the next Saab to look like a Chevrolet Malibu.

The 2004 Saab 9-3 convertible does not look like a Chevrolet Malibu; it looks like a Saab. The basic platform, though, is the same one used for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. But instead of sending the Malibu's bits and pieces off to Sweden, Chevrolet is using a platform designed and developed mostly for the European market. That makes for a better Malibu, and it makes for a very nice Saab.

There's still a little bath-tubbiness evident in the 9-3, and the ignition key remains down there next to the drink holder. The car is much more Saab than GM, which must be a good thing, because Saab sales were up 82 percent for October compared with the same period last year. Year-to-date sales, through the first of November, totaled 40,808, up 26 percent from 2002.

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Only a couple of years ago, more than a few executives at GM were talking about pulling the plug on Saab. That talk has ceased.

Much of that is due to the general goodness of the 9-3 Sport Sedan, introduced in October of 2002. The 9-3 convertible, which is now reaching showrooms, will only help.

The convertible is available in two models, the Arc and the sportier Aero. The sedan is available in those two models, plus a base model called the Linear.

All 9-3 models have a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. In the Linear, it has 175 horsepower, and in the Aero and Arc, 210 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission is standard in the Linear, with a six-speed manual standard in the Arc and Aero. A five-speed automatic is optional.

The test car was an Arc convertible with the five-speed automatic. The smooth little engine is willing, and the quick-shifting transmission helped it maximize its capability.

Handling was exceptional, particularly since an Aero model, with 17-inch tires and wheels instead of the Arc's 16-inchers, plus a stiffer suspension, would have handled even better. This is a very solid, rigid chassis, with only the slightest body flex over rough roads. It's much more confidence-inspiring than the last-generation 9-3 convertible.

The top itself works with the touch of a single button. It stores beneath a hard shell that flips up to accommodate the top. Even with the top down, there's more than 12 cubic feet of trunk space.

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Saab's reputation for safety is legendary, so it isn't surprising that there's a full roster of features such as anti-lock brakes, side air bags, traction control, brake assist, stability control, and a pair of concealed pop-up, spring-loaded roll bars that deploy in less than two-tenths of a second should the car begin to flip.

Assuming you can afford one -- base price for the convertible is about $40,000, and the as-tested price was $43,615 -- there's very little not to like about the 2004 9-3 convertible, even for the hardest-to-please Saab loyalists.

The next Saab model, though -- that will be the test. The Saab 9-2 will be built in Japan, by GM's partner, Subaru. Saab fans may want to turn away when it arrives next year.