Saab News Blog

The all-wheel-drive system (AWD) is fast becoming a staple for automobile manufacturers like Saab. If equipped in a passenger car or a sport utility vehicle, the four-wheel machine would be given much strength in its so-called feet. Aside from that added muscle for the vehicle, the AWD will also promote safety on top of it all.

Saab, whose parent company is the United States-established General Motors, is just among the big pool of car manufacturers that has already utilized the four-wheel-drive in its products. With this system geared in a vehicle, the automobile gets that extra safety feature without the hassle of putting much weight on the ride. Moreover, cars with the electronic safety systems such as the electronic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, and anti-rollover protection has already proven to have 40 percent less chance of being involved in accidents. This big safety percentage is expected to get higher if the car has been equipped with the all-wheel-drive. Just imagine how many lives will be saved if a vehicle has all of these safety measures.

“We developed it with the thinking we would put it into other brands and tune it,” said Peter Johansson, a Saab specialist in front- and all-wheel-drive technology.

This technology was first utilized in sport utility vehicles that have been built to drive on an off-road. AWD aid SUVs to adjust quickly to the bumpiest and rockiest road there is. At present, however, the bigger vehicles are no longer the only ones that make use of the AWD. In fact, the Swedish automaker’s Saab Turbo X, which is equipped with the four-wheel-drive, has recently graced the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. This sleek passenger car with a turbocharged engine has been made more powerful because of the AWD.

With a Saab Turbo X running on all four wheels instead of only using the rear wheels, the vehicle has been made more capable of adjusting to driving errors as well as sudden changes in the road being taken. Not only does the AWD promote safety and power, the four-wheel-drive will also help the engine become more fuel efficient. This is made possible because the system only distributes power to all the wheels only if needed. An estimated a mile per gallon is being saved by the AWD. In some models with AWD, however, the fuel efficiency can be reduced by as much a four miles per gallon.

Automakers such as Ford, Chrysler, Subaru, Volvo, and Audi, amongst others, also utilize the AWD system in their products.

Saab is the known Swedish automaker that has pioneered the turbocharged vehicles in 1977. Just this month, the company has released an improved Saab Turbocharged X, which has a high-powered engine, at the Frankfurt Auto Show to the delight of many. Aside from this turbocharged technology, Saab does not only manufacture automobiles, but also makes airplanes. In fact, by next year Saab’s Skeldar UAV, which is an enlarged maritime variant, will be taking its first flight and landing on a local flight deck.

This developmental Skeldar is set to conduct a series of flight test activities, but the company is still looking for an all-time naval partner to do the said plan. For now, the Saab Aerosystems will be showcasing a model of the Skeldar at the DSEi exhibition in London starting from Sept. 11 until the 14th. The said aircraft, which will be running solely on remote controls, will take off and land at the flight deck of the Swedish navy’s Visby-class stealth corvette HSMS Nykoping.

The upgraded Saab-produced Skeldar will be demonstrating the so-called autonomous deck landing. This can be achieved by the aircraft by providing the plane with real-time date on the direction of where the ship is heading. Moreover, the Skeldar will not be just a showcase because the United Nations is actually looking on the benefits of gearing the Swedish peacekeepers with such transportation in the future. If these aircrafts will be acquired, the Skeldar can offer surveillance as well as area patrol services.

Also called as the V-250, the 550-lb Skeldar UAV will utilize a heavier fuel engine that can guarantee an increase in the aircraft’s cargo capabilities. Moreover, this upgraded Skeldar can do up to 180km per hour speed compared to the older V-150 Skeldar ‘s 100km per hour capacity.

The Swedish fleet of GM’s luxury cars is now coming out with its new 9-3 version that offers a new look with its ragtop. The very element that makes it stand out is how its classy look is being softened by the soft fabric roof top of the convertible, which is a fresh break from the usual hard tops that we see. Even Saab has been producing hard-top convertibles over the years, so this new 9-3 definitely created buzz among the enthusiasts.

Basically, the new 9-3 is lined well to effectively mutes wind and rain noise. Saab’s diesel convertible, the TiD, starts at $68,000 for the Linear with Sport adding $2000. Auto is more. It is powered by a 1.9-liter, common rail, twin cam turbo diesel good for 110kW and 320Nm. This engine is also used in Holden Astra diesels and the design is originally from Fiat and Alfa.

A six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission is available with drive going to the front wheels via various electronic modulators. The diesel offers surprisingly strong performance coupled with excellent fuel economy rated at just 5.8-liters/100km. It also generates a relatively low 166g/km of carbon dioxide and features a particle filter to knock out any exhaust nasties.

Though smooth and quiet on the road, the diesel is audible at idle and generates some vibration but nothing that really intrudes. The six-speed manual we drove was excellent on the highway, loping along in fifth or sixth with instant acceleration on tap. Safety equipment includes active roll-over protection, multiple airbags, stability control and five three-point seat belts.

As expected, the convertible is fully loaded with goodies like heated seats, leather, premium audio, climate control and cruise control. The 16in alloys look a little small for the car but there is a full-size spare.

After featuring the news that there will be a new Saab Crossover vehicle, here are the juicy details, and we have it here on this blog.

The new Cross-wheel drive (which Saab shortens to XWD) will be a premium option on the entry-level 9-3; it will come bundled only with an uprated 280-hp version of the 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 that will make 255 hp in lesser 9-3s when the 2008 model goes on sale in late September.

Along with that more powerful motor, the 9-3 with XWD will come with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission. The XWD system will be a fully automatic setup that operates as a front-wheel drive car in most situations—to improve fuel efficiency, says Saab—but can send all of the engine’s power to either the front or rear axles when needed.

There will also be what the company calls the segment-first use of an electronically controlled limited slip differential (or eLSD; we’re sure there’s a joke about a virtual acid trip in there somewhere) for the rear axle that will transfer up to 40 per cent of the torque sent rearward between the rear wheels.

The result, says Saab, will be a 9-3 that handles better in fast corners thanks to the ability to channel power to the outside rear wheel.

Swedish luxury carmaker Saab is on its heels to expand its fleet of cars in the attempt to further expand its domination in the luxury car arena, and build up on its global acclaim. Thus, a major update of the 9-3, currently its smallest and lowest-cost model, will be rolling into dealerships for 2008. Saab is also finishing up work on a new version of the bigger 9-5 line, which has gone far too long without any significant revisions.

Despite ongoing concerns about the financial health of General Motors’ Swedish luxury brand, things are looking better than ever, asserted Steve Shannon, the GM “lifer” who has been running Saab operations in the US—its largest market—for the last six months.

Saab faces a variety of challenges, Shannon acknowledged. For one thing, it is hard to gain traction in a market dominated by better known European and Asian brands, such as BMW and Lexus, especially with such a small lineup. But getting more product is itself a challenge when you’re such a small part of the GM empire.

“It’s not easy, when you’re a company that makes 9 million cars a year to figure out how to steward a company that makes 130,000,” acknowledged Shannon in an interview. However, it was a good thing that in the end, he added that they were getting better at doing so.

The crossover is being designed with the U.S. in mind, though Saab hopes to break into the fast-growing global demand for crossovers. While some makers have experimented with radical alternatives to conventional SUV designs such as the Nissan Murano, Saab’s offering will take a conservative approach.

“We will not make the mistake of some other manufacturers,” Shannon said, “trying to make a ‘tweener,’ somewhere between a car and a truck. We will not take any risks with this.”

The planned crossover will make use of a new all-wheel-drive system. Dubbed Cross-Wheel Drive , or XWD, it will make its debut next year on the 9xz-3 line. GM has appointed Saab its center of excellence for future all-wheel-drive technology for use on all transverse-mounted vehicle programs. The real test of the brand will come in little more than a year, when it launches its first crossover vehicle, which some sources have dubbed the 9-4X, though that name is far from official.

Saab introduces a number of new accessories to ensure driver safety on the wheels and to keep Saab owners fully informed while on the road.

With the rising popularity of bluetooth-equipped mobile phones, it appears logical that car handsfree telephone kits no longer use wires. For one, the availability of the new hands-free Bluetooth kit will make keeping in touch with business contacts, friends, and family more convenient. Bluetooth is a wireless mode of transferring information between mobile phones hands-free kits in vehicles, headsets, computers, and other communication devices. Once the new automatic phone-linking kit has been installed into the car, there is no need to dock the mobile phone into a telephone. When getting inside the car, the mobile phone can be just left in a bag or pocket. Conversation is done through the car’s audio system. The radio then automatically mutes for incoming and outgoing calls.

The new Bluetooth kit helps drivers focus on the road and keeps their hands on the wheel while making calls, thus ensuring safety and compliance with the law. Priced at 299 euros, this car facility will instantly link up with the mobile phone as soon as the ignition is turned on. Voice operated and fully integrated with the car, the Bluetooth handsfree kit allows the Saab owner to dial a number by simply uttering a number or a name. If the driver is already on a call as he enters the car, the call will be automatically transferred to the car and back to the mobile phone once the driver leaves the vehicle.

The Bluetooth kit is available to Saab 9-5 models from 2001 and 9-3 Sport Saloon and SportWagon models from 2003 with compatible mobile phones.

Also offered to Saab drivers are two new GPS safety and satellite navigation systems. Called the Pogo Alert, the latest Saab offering receives orbiting satellite information to provide the best possible warning of upcoming speed safety cameras and accident blackspots. It also includes alerts from mobile laser traps via a removable laser detector module.

Symbolizing a new breed of GPS driver information systems, the Pogo Drive combines touch-screen street level navigation with speed safety camera and accident blackspot alerts. Both systems are fully portable and easy to install. The Pogo Drive includes a camera locator, which is updated about three times per week. Pogo Alert warns drivers of all fixed speed cameras, including Gatso cameras, Watchman, Specs average speed cameras, Truvelo cameras, Speed curb and DS2 Speedmaster cameras and accident blackspots; as well as mobile safety vans and mobile laser guns.

The Pogo Alert costs 249.95 euros while the Pogo Drive costs 299.95 euros.

Saab also introduces two lockable roof boxes, which are perfect for families that are planning a motoring holiday during summer. The Travel roof box features a luggage capacity of 450 liters, while the 460-liter Sport roof box is ideal for carrying sports equipment. The Travel roof box costs 245.58 euros, while the Sport roof box costs 272.60 euros.

With the Saab BioPower 9-5 2.0t model, Swedish car brand Saab attempts to be environment-friendly.

The Saab 9-5 BioPower is a flex fuel car that can run on the environmentally-friendly yet potent fuel, bioethanol, or on pure petrol or any combination of the two.

The BioPower is intended to save fossil fuels and lessen harmful emissions. The use of alternative fuel bioethanol is one of the latest options in fighting air pollution, and Saab’s 9-5 is among the first cars to utilize it. The BioPower range allows the model’s two-liter engine to also run on unleaded gas. That means if bioethanol is not available petrol can be used. The ingenious engine management will take care of the rest, maximizing performance from the resulting mixture.

Saab uses the ethanol-petrol mixture called gasohol or E85 with the 9-5 BioPower. Made of 15 percent ethanol blended with petrol, gasohol was first introduced in Denmark in 1989.As a result, the environment reaps gains by the 50 to 70 percent less carbon emission compared to the traditional unleaded.

Saab estimates a 20-percent gain in brake horsepower and a 16-percent boost to torque with the BioPower model. The addition of a small amount of petrol helps the engine under cold start conditions. With the sky-rocketing oil prices, motorists could make long-term savings, get better performance, and help the environment by switching to BioPower.

With 11,000 BioPower cars sold last year, the figure is seen to increase by 3,000 this year as Sweden is giving drivers big incentives to go green. No tax on biofuel, free parking in cities, no congestion charges, and a 20 percent company car rebate are just some of the perks that come with owning environment-friendly cars like the BioPower.