Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Etc., Euro, Green, Tech, Saab, Misc. Auto Shows
Saab introduces new 2.3t BioPower engine
With the 2.0t BioPower engine enjoing great success in the marketplace -- it's the top-selling 9-5 engine option in Saab's home market -- the automaker has chosen the British International Motor Show to premiere a new member of the BioPower family: a 2.3L turbocharged powerplant. We reported on this development earlier, though Saab has chosen today to make it official.
The 2.3t BioPower, when running on E85 Ethanol, produces 210 horsepower (185 hp on regular gas) and will be available in the 9-5 sedan and wagon. It goes on sale later this year in the UK, Ireland and (naturally) the Nordic states. It does not replace the 2.0t BioPower, so customers fortunate enough to live in BioPower markets will soon be able to choose from the two flexible-fuel engines based on their individual driving needs.
Saab calls this new development the first in a series of BioPower initiatives it has in the pipeline. It'll be interesting to see what else the company has up its sleeve, but for now, this seems like a nice starting point: increased performance, same low emissions.
(Press release after the jump)
[Source: Saab UK]
Saab Launches New High-Performance 2.3t BioPower Engine
The new Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower model goes on sale in the UK, Ireland and Nordic markets later this year, with other European countries to follow. Available in a choice of Saloon and Estate bodystyles with manual or automatic transmission, it is being offered in addition to the current 2.0t BioPower model which is already established as Sweden's best selling environmentally-friendly vehicle.
First deliveries of the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower began in the UK in March 2006, the same time as Morrisons supermarket opened the country's first bioethanol E85 refuelling pump. Morrisons now sells bioethanol E85 at several of its sites in the East and South West of England, retailing the eco-friendly fuel for two pence per litre less than petrol.
Both cars combine the benefits of 'going green' through substantially cutting fossil CO2 emissions, with the enjoyment of even sportier driving performance. A further practical advantage of the BioPower formula allows customers to run on petrol and/or bioethanol E85 fuel in any proportions without any adjustment needed by the driver.
Running on bioethanol E85 the new Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower engine delivers maximum power of 210 bhp and 310 Nm of torque, compared to 185 bhp and 280 Nm when using unleaded petrol. In terms of increased performance, the manual saloon accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds, compared to 8.5 seconds when running only on petrol.
Saab's powerful Trionic engine management system monitors fuel quality after every visit to the filling station and automatically makes any adjustments necessary for running on bioethanol E85 and/or petrol in any combination.
Bioethanol E85 has a much higher octane rating (104 RON) than petrol (95 RON), and turbocharging allows the use of a higher boost pressure and more advanced ignition timing - giving more engine power than is possible on petrol without risk of harmful 'knocking' or pre-detonation. The only hardware modifications necessary are more durable valves and valve seats and the use of bioethanol-compatible materials in the fuel system, including the tank, pump, lines and connectors.
Bioethanol fuel is produced commercially from agricultural crops, such as corn, grain, sugar beet and sugar cane. Unlike petrol, its consumption does not significantly raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), which some scientific research suggests is a major contributor to global warming. This is because emissions during driving are balanced by the amount of CO2 that is removed from the atmosphere when crops for conversion are grown.
"The launch of a 2.3 turbo model is the logical next step in the roll-out of our highly-successful BioPower concept," says Jan-Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's Managing Director. "It is being offered in response to customer demand for an eco-friendly vehicle that delivers even more performance and is the first in a number of future BioPower initiatives that we have under development."
Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower performance figures are provisional pending homologation.
- World premiere of 210 bhp 2.3t BioPower Saab 9-5 at British International Motor Show
- Cuts fossil CO2 emissions by up to 70 per cent whilst delivering 14 per cent more power and 11 per cent more torque
- To go on sale later in 2006, offered in addition to the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower, already for sale on the UK market
The new Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower model goes on sale in the UK, Ireland and Nordic markets later this year, with other European countries to follow. Available in a choice of Saloon and Estate bodystyles with manual or automatic transmission, it is being offered in addition to the current 2.0t BioPower model which is already established as Sweden's best selling environmentally-friendly vehicle.
First deliveries of the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower began in the UK in March 2006, the same time as Morrisons supermarket opened the country's first bioethanol E85 refuelling pump. Morrisons now sells bioethanol E85 at several of its sites in the East and South West of England, retailing the eco-friendly fuel for two pence per litre less than petrol.
Both cars combine the benefits of 'going green' through substantially cutting fossil CO2 emissions, with the enjoyment of even sportier driving performance. A further practical advantage of the BioPower formula allows customers to run on petrol and/or bioethanol E85 fuel in any proportions without any adjustment needed by the driver.
Running on bioethanol E85 the new Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower engine delivers maximum power of 210 bhp and 310 Nm of torque, compared to 185 bhp and 280 Nm when using unleaded petrol. In terms of increased performance, the manual saloon accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds, compared to 8.5 seconds when running only on petrol.
Saab's powerful Trionic engine management system monitors fuel quality after every visit to the filling station and automatically makes any adjustments necessary for running on bioethanol E85 and/or petrol in any combination.
Bioethanol E85 has a much higher octane rating (104 RON) than petrol (95 RON), and turbocharging allows the use of a higher boost pressure and more advanced ignition timing - giving more engine power than is possible on petrol without risk of harmful 'knocking' or pre-detonation. The only hardware modifications necessary are more durable valves and valve seats and the use of bioethanol-compatible materials in the fuel system, including the tank, pump, lines and connectors.
Bioethanol fuel is produced commercially from agricultural crops, such as corn, grain, sugar beet and sugar cane. Unlike petrol, its consumption does not significantly raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), which some scientific research suggests is a major contributor to global warming. This is because emissions during driving are balanced by the amount of CO2 that is removed from the atmosphere when crops for conversion are grown.
"The launch of a 2.3 turbo model is the logical next step in the roll-out of our highly-successful BioPower concept," says Jan-Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's Managing Director. "It is being offered in response to customer demand for an eco-friendly vehicle that delivers even more performance and is the first in a number of future BioPower initiatives that we have under development."
Saab 9-5 2.3t BioPower performance figures are provisional pending homologation.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
emor8t 7:37PM (6/27/2006)
I wish I could run biofuel in my car and get 25 more horsepower....
Reply
epp_b 9:37PM (6/27/2006)
["The 2.3t BioPower, when running on E85 Ethanol, produces 210 horsepower"]
Well, that's nice, but WHERE? Do I get it only in the last few hundred RPMs like on a deisel? Or does the power come at a useful amount of revs and remain for useful range of revs?
I'm guessing that the performance figures speak for themselves, but I'd still like the cold, hard, on-paper facts.
But, hey, as long as...
- It goes like or better than gasoline/petrol
- The fuel economy is acceptable
- The engine sounds as good as or better than gas/petrol
- The producers aren't a bunch of greedy fat-wads
...then I'm all for it. Actually, this could be great for little farming communities such as where I live.
Reply
Swade - Trollhattan Saab 10:52PM (6/27/2006)
epp-b,
Saabs have very torquey engines. This is the important factor in how an engines power is used. If power is what the engine can do, torque relates to how it does it. Saabs have heaps of torque and commonly, 90% of it is available at around 1900 rpm. This means great acceleration and access to the power when you need it (e.g. safe overtaking).
Reply
epp_b 11:20PM (6/27/2006)
["If power is what the engine can do, torque relates to how it does it."]
Yes, of course - a very important point. Horsepower wins the sale, but torque wins the race.
But, is this Saab in general? Does this include their bio engines? Does this also include other (non-Saab) bio engines?
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chewy 12:23AM (6/28/2006)
The Inconvinient truth about E85.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/11174/tech-stuff-ethanol-promises.html
BTW, epp_b, the fuel economy goes down by as much as 30%.
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?article_id=11174§ion_id=4&page_number=7
Reply
epp_b 12:40AM (6/28/2006)
["BTW, epp_b, the fuel economy goes down by as much as 30%."]
Hmm...that's too bad. BUT, it may be more or less irrelevant depending on the cost per unit.
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Milos 6:37AM (6/28/2006)
FIne engine but it doesn't change the fact that it's still ugliest saab ever...
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Steve 8:29AM (6/28/2006)
Ummmm, did I miss something? The 2.0T gets 210hp now, so why all the hype about the 2.3t getting 210hp on E85 as if it's some sort of significant 'performance' engine option? I know that 'T' means higher pressure turbo than 't', but this doesn't sound like groundbreaking news.
Now, the 2.3T with 300hp that they talked about--that's something I would like to see.
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CrunchyCookie 1:23PM (6/28/2006)
Wrong: torque wins everyday get-up-and-go; horsepower wins the sale AND the race.
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epp_b 11:34PM (6/29/2006)
["Wrong: torque wins everyday get-up-and-go; horsepower wins the sale AND the race."]
Not necessarily...perhaps in a drag race. But in a real race with corners, more torque means you don't necessarily have to shift all over the place to get the power you need a specific point in time.
A Ford GT will send a Ferrari 360 CS (that's the lightweight, track-bred version) crying home to mommy because the Ford has about twice the torque (but only 50-75 more horsepower), and it's accessible just about anywhere in the revs before you get to the horsepower band.
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AquariumsW 1:09PM (8/12/2008)
Engines designed around E85 can have much higher compression (like 11:1 to 12:1 for non turbos). Hence, efficiency and torque is increased. Because alcohol fuels contain less BTU per gallon, normal gasoline tuned engines do get 25 to 30 percent less Miles per gallon. But the cents per mile is about the same. Think how direct injection and HCCI engines efficiency could benefit from E85! That is what the SAAB biopower engines are.
Reply