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While many motor manufacturers were claiming that turbocharged production cars would never happen, Saab was already one step ahead of the game. The release of the Saab 99 turbo in 1977 showed the world just how far we had come.
The 99 turbo’s lightweight four-cylinder engine delivered the punch of a V8 but with greater efficiency and lower fuel emissions. In fact, Saab discovered that a naturally aspirated engine would have to be 50 % larger and consume 30 % more fuel to match the power output of the 99 turbo.
The next three decades saw a succession of significant improvements in turbocharged engine design: 1984 saw the launch of the first Saab Aero, complete with a groundbreaking 16-valve engine; in 1991 we introduced our Trionic engine management system, which can make more than two million calculations per second. Which brings us to the present day, and the development of the new V6 Turbo and BioPower engines.
Saab has reached yet another milestone in its evolution – producing a car to combine the benefits of turbocharging with the inherent refinement of a six-cylinder engine. Drivers of the new Saab 9-3 Aero will feel the huge power surge as the 350 Nm of torque takes them from 0-100km/h in just 6.7 seconds. Not only that, but 90 % of the maximum torque is available from just 1800 rpm. The engine will be released later this summer in the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-3 Convertible and the all-new 9-3 SportCombi.
Saab’s new BioPower engine range is the first in the premium car segment to run on E85 ethanol fuel – a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% regular petrol. Ethanol is produced from agricultural crops and forest residues and, unlike petrol, it does not increase the levels of CO2 entering the earth’s atmosphere. This is because the amount of CO2 released when ethanol is burned is balanced by the CO2 removed from the atmosphere by the growing crops.
Even more remarkable is the gain in power: since ethanol has a much higher octane rating than petrol, a 2.0t engine is capable of producing 180 bhp and 280 Nm of torque, compared to the standard 150 bhp and 240 Nm. So by doing the environment a favor, you gain where it matters most.
Saab 9-5 BioPower is currently only available in Sweden, where drivers qualify for lower car tax rates and free parking. However, the UK and other Saab markets are considering adopting this extraordinary new technology, so keep an eye out for future developments.
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