More on Saab from the London Motor Show
First things, first.
The big news (for me) from London is that the show hasn’t been used as a forum to annnounce the production of a Saab 9-1 compact vehicle. The 9-X BioHybrid is on show there but the only mention of a possible Saab 9-1 has been in the negative, courtesy of Saab UK marketing guy, David Pugh:
This bit sounds hopeful:
We’ll grow by entering new segments as evidenced by the 9-X BioHybrid….
But then there’s this:
This is our vision for how a future compact Saab could look. Now, we haven’t yet decided exactly what we’re going to do for a compact car…
So it’s no-go at this point for a segment that Saab so obviously needs to be in.
——
Other news from the London show, it seems that Aero has now become a trim level rather then a performance specification, which is probably a good thing, I guess.
Aero Expansion
Saab leads the automotive sector in exploiting the environmental benefits of bioethanol as a renewable fuel for its BioPower flex-fuel engines, which also deliver more power when running on E85 (85% bioethanol,15% gasoline). Now this technology is available for the first time in Aero specification for both 9-3 and 9-5 product ranges.
The new 9-3 Aero BioPower, in Sport Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible formats, has a 2.0-liter turbo engine delivering 14% more maximum power (200 hp/ 147 kW.v 175 hp/ 129 kW) and 13% more torque (300 v 265 Nm) when running on E85. In the Sport Sedan, this gives zero to 100 kph acceleration in 7.9 sec and 80 to 120 kph in fifth gear in 10.0sec, compared to 8.5 and 11.1 sec, respectively, on gasoline.
In the 9-5 Sedan and SportCombi line-up, the 2.3-turbo engine of the new Aero BioPower delivers maximum power of 210 hp/154 kW and 310 Nm of torque when running on E85, compared to 185 hp/136 kW and 280 Nm on gasoline. On the road, this gives the sedan zero to 100 kph acceleration in 7.9 sec and 80-120 kph in fifth gear in 11.0 sec, compared to 8.3 sec and 12.6 sec, respectively, on gasoline.
Saab Aero models are distinguished by exterior sports bodystyling, unique alloy wheels and a sports chassis with stiffer springs and dampers for sharper handling. Inside, the sports seating is complemented by metallic-effect trim and the option of a unique leather/aluminum steering wheel.
For model year 2009, the full Saab 9-3 Aero line-up now offers a choice of front or all-wheel-drive (Saab XWD) combined with 280 hp, 2.8V6 or 210 hp, 2.0-liter four- cylinder turbo power. In addition, the new Aero BioPower and current 180 hp, 1.9TTiD engines come with front wheel drive only.
In the 9-5 range, the new BioPower option joins the current 260 hp, 2.3-liter gasoline version, which includes an overboost function delivering an impressive 370 Nm of torque.
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Well, he is “Saab UK marketing guy” - not the GM HQ marketing guy in Detroit or the Saab Automobile marketing guy in Trollhättan. So I’m pretty sure he only say what he is told to say, and will never be the person they pick to fuel rumors or break news.
I still say Saab needs the small 9-1 far more than it needs an SUV replacement, but I’m sure GM will have to learn that one the hard way. I’m sure if a 9-1 is ever released it will end up coming at least two years after the next Astra with which it will share the Delta II platform. Can’t GM ever learn it needs to let new platforms debut with the premium brand and then let them trickle down to the cheaper brands?
It would sound far better to say the next Astra was based on a Saab 9-1 platform than the other way around. I have little confidence that GM will learn this. In fact I now have very little confidence in GM whatsoever…..
Well, according to this AutoWeek article, the big problem Saab now faces is what platform to build the 9-1 on.
The good news is that Carl-Peter Forster speaks of the car as something that will be produced, as opposed to something that might see production.
I’d love to see the gas mileage comparisons between these biopower engines (both running on E85 and gasoline) compared to their traditional engines. E85 does have higher octane so I would expect that the APC turbo can get more out it in terms of performance, but E85 also has about 20% less energy than an equivalent amount of gasoline. Perhaps Saab’s technology can keep the MPG from falling too much. To me that would be a compelling part of the story.
Edags,
Here’s an article that compares the efficiency of the 2.2l Ecotec on various blends.
The engine management system can be around 5% more efficient (37% vs 35%) on E85 compared to E0, at high loads. At low loads, and especially at idle, both fuel type are roughly equivalent, meaning that you will use around 20% more E85 by volume (but not by KW).
Of course, this wouldn’t be an issue if fuel was sold by KW instead of by litre/gallon.
Auto Week article….
“As a consequence to this downsizing strategy, the future small Saab 9-1, planned for 2012, needs a more compact architecture as well”.
Uuhhmm, Could it be?
The 9-1/9-3 lineup smells a little like Volvo’s C30, S40 and V50 that share the front of the car. I would say it should make a lot of sense to do the same for Saab if the 9-3 is built on the Delta platform. Especially considering both the problems to make the smallest cars safe and the needed engineering efforts involved to develop two cars in parallell, as the 9-1 and the 9-3 have about the same target date.
If the 9-1 and the next 9-3 indeed share the same target date (2012), then I suggest it will look very little like the 9-X BH concept.
The whole thing about the Delta II platform is it’s adaptability in wheelbase etc, but if the 9-1 is going to be much than an Astra, then it will have to be built on the next Corsa platform. This will mean it will not be built in Trollhattan. The 9-X BH concept is very much an Astra sized car, what will a Corsa sized 9-1 look like? I guess those folks who want a mini sized Saab might just get their wish?
To me, it makes more sense to build both the 9-1 and the 9-3 on different adaptations of Delta II with a reasonable amount of commonality between the two models, and build them both in Trollhattan. Surely this would be the most cost effective?