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Wins for Saab seem to reasonably rare no matter where the location is these days. Here in Australia, they’re even rarer, and when they do occur there always seems to be some sort of furore.
This week the fuss is over a local mayor in suburban Melbourne choosing a Saab 9-5 BioPower as his mayoral vehicle.
Cr Hemphill is cruising the streets in a $51,000 Swedish-made Saab 9-5 Biopower sedan. It was chosen over three cars made by Toyota, one of Hobsons Bay’s biggest employers.
But the new mayor defended the purchase, saying the vehicle was the most environmentally-friendly available and it supported the council’s policy of promoting bio-fuels.
The Saab 9-5 can run on 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol mix and has a low carbon dioxide emission rate.
Hobsons Bay Community First spokesman Colin Palmer said the mayor was snubbing a local manufacturer in Toyota.
“What has Saab ever done for Hobsons Bay?” Mr Palmer said.
Given them the opportunity and I’m sure they’d love to do a lot!
The council had the option of buying an environmentally-friendly Toyota Prius hybrid, worth $44,900, a $34,000 Toyota Grande and Toyota Aurion Presara, which according to the Toyota website retails from $49,990.
It’s the United States of Toyota all over again
Cr Hemphill said the Saab, bought in Footscray, had the full support of other councillors and denied he was snubbing a local manufacturer.
I’m a little bit surprised there’s someone selling Saabs in Footscray. Let’s just say it’s not typical Saab territory. Many of the locals wouldn’t be able to spell Saab, even if you held the word up in front of them.
“We buy or lease a range of cars, we’re not exclusively Toyota,” he told the Leader.
“There was a resolution (regarding biofuels) that was decided in 2006 and we just acted upon it. I think some people are getting mis-information whether we’ve spent more than what we’ve normally done, (the price) is comparable.”
“We’re not exclusively Toyota”
It’s nice to hear that once in a while.
4 responses so far ↓
1 WooDz
// Feb 3, 2009 at 12:45 am
I just wish some activist group would calculate how environmentally friendly the Prius really is. The area where the batteries are produced is used by NASA for lunar training as it is now so desolate, the batteries themselves are shipped to Europe, the main Prius car is also shipped to Europe where, car and battery pack are married to one another and them finally are delivered to which ever global market they are destined. So for Canada and Japan that means almost double shipping. Then you have the energy used in production of the batteries themselves and finally the car only uses a non-renewable fuel source.
Maybe has Green peace been blinded by Toyota’s marketing masterpiece too?
Glad to see some people see SAAB as a true eco-warrior.
2 turbin
// Feb 3, 2009 at 6:46 am
The ‘Footeskray’ dealer is Mance Saab, a large and long standing Holden Dealer. They are the ones that set up a GM Premium Brands dealership, City Saab/Hummer/Cadillac in Swan St Richmond which is much more Saab territory. Also likely one of the dealers that GM Holden is talking with about ‘compensation’ for total friggin mismanagement of the PB (Premium Brand not Parveen Batish) strategy.
3 Edonis
// Feb 3, 2009 at 8:16 am
I’m sick and tired of the conseption that the Prius is so enviromentally friendly, when many sources claim it is quite the contrary. The disposing of the batteries etc doesn’t seem so green to me. But even if you only look at the fuel consumption, it’s not THAT good either. Has anyone seen the TopGear episode where they drive a Prius 10 laps around their track, and Clarkson drives a M3 behind it, and the Prius uses much more fuel than the M3. But in all fairness, who is going to drive the Prius hard? I’d almost take a bucket of dog poo instead, but oh well..
Anyways, good to see the mayor chose a Saab!
4 Karen
// Feb 3, 2009 at 10:25 am
maybe Hemphill is 6′4″ and likes the leg room of the Saab 9-5 Biopower sedan.
a great example for municipal auto purchases everywhere! seems flex-fuel is more likely the nearterm shift. Brazil is almost 100% on their 85/15 flex fuel infrastructure.