2008 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible

DETROIT — The Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible have earned the 2008 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick Award in the midsize category.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the 9-3 Sport Sedan has brought home IIHS top honors, an unique achievement in the luxury segment. For 2007 the 9-3 earned the Top Safety Pick Award, in 2006 the 9-3 earned the Top Safety Pick – Gold Award and received a Double Best Pick crash-test rating for 2005.

The institute began testing convertibles in 2007. In the inaugural year, the 9-3 Convertible earned a top spot. This is the second year running that the Saab 9-3 Convertible earns the Top Safety Pick Award – one of two convertibles and the only soft-top convertible to earn a top spot.

The Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side-impact crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries. Winning vehicles must earn good ratings in all three tests and offer electronic stability control.

“The Saab 9-3 performed well in front and side crash tests and the Saab Active Head Restraints provide state-of-the-art protection against neck injuries,” said IIHS President Adrian Lund. "The addition of electronic stability control as standard equipment confirms Saab’s commitment to vehicle safety.”

IIHS is a nonprofit research and communications organization funded by auto insurers. The Institute's research focuses on countermeasures aimed at all three factors in motor vehicle crashes (human, vehicular, and environmental) and on interventions that can occur before, during, and after crashes to reduce losses.

• 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2008
• 9-3 Convertible: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2008
• 9-3 Convertible: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2007
• 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Top Safety Pick”, 2007
• 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Top Safety Pick – Gold Award”, 2006
• 9-3 SportCombi: Activelifestyle.com “Active Lifestyle Award”, 2006
• 9-3 Range : “Wards top-10 best engine”, Wards, 2006
• 9-3 SportCombi: SmartMoney "Best mispriced wagon" awards, SmartMoney magazine, 2006
• 9-3 SportCombi: "Top sport wagon", buyacar.suite101.com, 2006
• 9-3 SportCombi: Intellichoice Award - Lowest Maintenance Costs in Class, 2006
• 9-3 Sedan: IIHS “Double Best Pick” crash test rating, 2005
• 9-3 SportCombi: “Good” rating (the maximum rating) for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Britain’s Thatcham Insurance Research Center crash tests, 2005
• 9-3 Convertible: “Good” rating (the maximum rating) for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Britain’s Thatcham Insurance Research Center crash tests, 2005
• 9-3 Sedan: “Good” rating (the maximum rating) for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Britain’s Thatcham Insurance Research Center crash tests, 2004
• 9-3 Convertible: Five stars, top rating from European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) crash tests, 2004
• 9-3 Sedan: “Green”, top rating for Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), from Swedish Insurance Company Folksam’s crash tests, 2003
• 9-3 Sedan: Five stars, top rating from European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) crash tests, 2002

World's First Application of the Innovative Haldex 4.0 All-Wheel Drive System



Intelligent Saab XWD “Cross Wheel Drive” offers new levels of vehicle handling and stability under all driving conditions

• New Haldex 4.0 system offers class-leading performance, up to 100% rear torque transfer
• Innovative all-wheel drive technology: pre-emptive engagement and active rear Limited Slip Differential
• New rear sub-frame and suspension geometry
• Available in the Saab Turbo X and 9-3 Aero XWD as of early 2008 calendar year

DETROIT – Developed in Sweden with Haldex of Stockholm, the Saab XWD “Cross Wheel Drive” system is designed to optimize vehicle handling and stability in all driving conditions. It is offered in the 2008 Saab Turbo X and Aero versions of the 9-3 Sport Sedan and SportCombi, in combination with an uprated 280 hp (206 kW), 2.8 V6 turbo engine which now delivers almost 15% more maximum torque (400 Nm/295 lbs/ft) to exploit the greater traction available. It comes with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

This state-of-the-art all-wheel drive system includes two innovative features: pre-emptive engagement of the rear wheels to optimize traction at take-off; and an active rear limited-slip differential (eLSD), allowing variable torque transfer between the rear wheels.

Saab XWD is a fully automatic, on-demand system capable of sending up to 100% of engine torque to the front or rear wheels whenever necessary. While offering new Saab Turbo X and 9-3 Aero XWD owners sure-footed handling in low-grip conditions, its sophisticated operation also adds a further sporty dimension to the driving experience in all road conditions. Fine balancing of the drive torque between the front and rear axles raises the threshold at which ESP throttle and braking interventions are triggered, providing more scope for closer driver involvement.

The system is governed by its own electronic control unit, which functions in harness with the engine, transmission and ABS/ESP control modules. The hardware consists of a Power Take-off Unit (PTU) in the front final-drive that transmits engine torque through a prop-shaft to the Rear Drive Module (RDM). This incorporates a Torque Transfer Device (TTD) and an electronically-controlled Limited Slip Differential (eLSD). Both are wet, multi-plate clutch units from Haldex.

At take-off from rest, the TTD is initially activated when the clutch plates are forced together under hydraulic pressure, thereby engaging the RDM. This pre-emptive function is a valuable improvement in current technology, which requires the detection of wheel slip before the TTD is activated. For the driver, the enhanced functionality gives maximum traction immediately for smooth, strong acceleration from rest without the possibility of any initial hesitation.

On the open road, drive torque is seamlessly and continuously varied between the axles by the control of a valve in the TTD, which increases or reduces the pressure on the wet clutch plates. When cornering, Saab XWD rewards the driver by providing enhanced, more finely balanced chassis dynamics. Data from the vehicle’s ABS/ESP sensors - measuring wheel speed, yaw rate and steering angle – is utilized, and careful programming of Saab XWD enables the application of rear drive to balance oversteer and understeer characteristics, improving stability and roadholding.

In highway cruising conditions, when traction or optimum grip is not an issue, only 5% to 10% of engine torque is typically transmitted to the rear wheels. This helps provide the driver with a measure of greater stability, while helping to save fuel.

The ultimate ‘icing on the cake’ with Saab XWD is the eLSD. This is the first application of an electronically-controlled, rear limited slip differential in this segment of the market. The eLSD is installed alongside the RDM and operates via pressurized clutch plates on a principle similar to the larger TTD. In icy or wet split-friction conditions, for example, it uses inputs from the rear wheel speed sensors and can transfer up to 40% of torque between the drive shafts, to whichever wheel has more grip.

The eLSD also gives the driver enhanced control when cornering hard or completing a high speed maneuver, such as a lane change, by momentarily applying more or less torque to either of the wheels to help the rear of the car more closely follow the direction of the front wheels. This yaw damping effect can keep the car better balanced and more tightly controlled, without requiring ‘outside’ intervention from electronic stability aides.

Installation of Saab XWD includes the fitment of a new rear sub-frame to carry the RDM, revised rear suspension geometry and new wheel hubs for the drive shafts. The three piece prop-shaft runs through two bearings with constant velocity joints for smooth running with minimal ‘wind-up’. Wheelbase and rear track dimensions are unaltered. All Saab Turbo X and 9-3 Aero XWD Sport Sedan and SportCombi models will have 18-inch alloy wheels as standard equipment.

The new Saab Turbo X high-technology model, making its world debut tomorrow at the first press day of the Frankfurt auto show, celebrates that it was Saab who put turbocharging on the automotive map. It all began exactly 30 years ago, at exactly the same place, when the first Saab 99 Turbo model was presented to the world media at the 1977 Frankfurt auto show.

At that time Saab was alone in pursuing turbocharging as a reliable and realistic means of extracting more power and efficiency from a production engine. Saab’s success over the next three decades shows that imitation is, indeed the sincerest form of flattery -- there are now few manufacturers who do not offer turbocharged models.

That’s because the attractions of turbocharging are even more seductive today than they were three decades ago. It is the key to what Saab calls ‘rightsizing’. Less is more. A turbocharged engine is lighter, smaller and more fuel efficient than a non-turbo, ‘naturally-aspirated’ engine capable of producing similar power. Not only that. A turbocharger develops more power by harnessing the energy from an engine’s exhaust gas flow. The idea of, in effect, recycling energy that’s otherwise wasted is even more compelling.

Something for Nothing
The idea that ‘less is more’ is intrinsic to the minimalist tradition of good Scandinavian design. Decoration and ornate detail can sometimes distract from an appreciation of form, line or shape. While this Scandinavian perspective is very much part of Saab car design, the ‘less is more’ philosophy can be even more closely identified with Saab’s mastery of the art of turbocharging.

While engineers will tell you that ‘getting something for nothing’ is not a realistic expectation in engine design, most will agree that about 30 per cent of the energy released when an engine burns fuel goes down the tube, or, in this case, the exhaust pipe.
A turbocharger uses that energy to force more air into the engine. Of course, some more fuel has to be added when extra air is pumped in, but a turbo gives the driver a choice in the matter.

As Saab’s leading expert, Dr Per Gillbrand, often known as the ‘father of the production turbo’, used to say: a turbocharged powerplant is really ‘two engines in one.’ There is a ‘small’ engine for driving in everyday traffic conditions and then a ‘large’ one, giving more power and performance, when the turbocharger joins the party at higher throttle openings.

Today, Saab remains at the forefront of turbocharging technology. In a world seeking to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, Saab BioPower engines bring together turbocharging and bioethanol (E85) fuel to drastically reduce those emissions - while also producing more power than is possible with gasoline. A smart, win/win solution.

Back at Frankfurt in 1977, the sceptics were more concerned about turbocharging being a winning solution in terms of just power. Early attempts at controlling boost pressure had produced severe reliability issues that discouraged other manufacturers from further development for road-going production cars.

But Saab, driven forward by the independent mind-set of its engineers and executives, remained convinced that it could be done. The company was able to draw on experience from aircraft design, where turbochargers were commonly used in aero engines to compensate for the effects of thin air at altitude. It also shared knowledge with colleagues in what was then the company’s truck division, who were using turbochargers with large, heavy-duty diesel engines.

Challenging Conventional Wisdom
Saab developed technology to ‘tame the turbo’ by using a by-pass valve to control the build-up of boost pressure. It did not take long for the world to appreciate what had been achieved. Fitting a turbocharger to the 2-liter engine of a Saab 99 gave 23 per cent more maximum horse power and a massive 45 per cent increase in torque, the engine’s pulling power under acceleration. To produce similar power ratings, a naturally-aspirated engine of the time would have been up to 50 per cent larger in capacity and about 50 kilos heavier, with overall fuel consumption 30 per cent worse. Saab has changed conventional wisdom that equated engine power with engine size.

An early Saab 99 Turbo road test in the UK’s influential Autocar magazine concluded: “It is not just its performance, but the way it delivers it. Its acceleration pattern is unique. Like a roller coaster running downhill, the Saab just gets faster as the turbocharger boost increases. It’s uncanny.” The age of the turbo had arrived and, during the next decade, black Saab 99 and 900 Turbo models were to become defining image for the Saab brand.

Over the years, Saab has continued to refine the art of turbocharging. The roller coaster is still there, but the ride is a bit more comfortable. Advances in engine management systems and turbocharger design have given today's Saab turbo engines a much smoother and more progressive power delivery. The new Turbo X, for example, delivers exceptionally strong pulling power of 400 Nm from very low engine revs, the characteristics of a far larger engine.

Rightsizing
Turbocharging has led Saab 2,650 meters (8,700 ft) up in the American Rockies to demonstrate how its turbo cars can still perform in the thin air of altitude. And down at sea level, it has given the 9000 Aero model faster in-gear acceleration than a Ferrari Testarossa. There is even a satisfied Saab 900 Turbo owner who has clocked up more than one million miles in his 1989 model, all with the original engine and turbocharger.

As long ago as 1992, Saab was able to demonstrate the abilities of its Trionic engine management system (Generation 8 is used today) by arranging an independent car test in City of London traffic. It showed that levels of regulated pollutants in the Saab’s exhaust were actually lower than found in the surrounding atmosphere. The car was ‘cleaning’ the urban air!

Today, in an era when the desire to save energy and achieve greater efficiency has never been greater, the future of Saab turbocharging has never been brighter.

‘Rightsizing’ is how Saab describes the process of making engines more efficient, of reducing their size, weight and environmental impact without losing performance... Showing that less is more. Turbocharging is a key component, combined with sophisticated engine management, ‘lean burn’ technologies and the potential use of bio-fuel, such as Saab BioPower and E85 bioethanol.

Back to Saab turbo pioneer Dr Per Gillbrand. He shared a similar philosophy when it came to efficient engine design. “All engines have an oil pump, a fuel pump and a water pump”, he used to say. “So why not an air pump, which is all a turbo really is. I think it's odd that all engines don’t have one!” Nowadays, thanks to the power of such independent thinking, an increasing number do.

DETROIT — The Saab 9-3 Convertible has earned the 2007 Top Safety Pick award for open-top models in crash tests conducted by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 9-3 Convertible joins the 9-3 Sport Sedan, which has received top honors three-years running, in receiving this top IIHS accolade.

To qualify for ‘Top Safety Pick’ award, a maximum ‘good’ rating must be recorded in each of three demanding tests involving frontal and side impacts and an evaluation of seat/head restraint protection in a simulated rear-end impact. The vehicle must also offer electronic stability control and convertibles must be equipped with roll bars.

“We are delighted that these IIHS findings confirm our own crash test results,” says Per Lenhoff, head of Safety at Saab Automobile AB in Sweden. “This reassures consumers that the 9-3 Convertible is among the very best in its class for crash safety.”

As part of its on-going work with crash safety, Saab has led the automotive industry in pioneering the development of active head restraints to help prevent neck injury in rear-end impacts. Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR) are standard equipment to the front seats of all its current car models. The 9-3 Convertible is also equipped with Saab Dynacage, which includes pop-up roll bars to help provide protection in the event of a roll-over crash or an impact that could lead to a roll-over.

The IIHS frontal crash test assesses structural performance and potential injury to the driver dummy in a 40 mph (64 kph) impact against a fixed deformable barrier with a 40 percent overlap on the driver’s side.

For the side impact test, a deformable barrier simulating an SUV or light truck is propelled against a stationary vehicle at 31 mph (50 kph) on the driver’s side. Structural performance and potential injuries to a dummy at the wheel and another seated immediately behind are assessed.

In the dynamic seat and head restraint test, a seated dummy is mounted on a sled which is accelerated to 10 mph (16 kph) and stopped within 0.1 seconds, simulating the effect of a 20 mph (32 kph) rear-end impact. The test is designed to assess protection against neck injury.

Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab Automobile USA is the importer and/or distributor of Saab 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X automobiles for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. In 2007, Saab celebrates 60 years since first being introduced to the automotive scene as the vision-turned-reality of 16 aircraft engineers. Visit www.saabusa.com for more information.

* BioPower variants to be launched across Saab 9-3 model range
* 1.8t BioPower engine for SportSedan, SportCombi and Convertible
* 17% more power, 10% more torque on E85 fuel
* BioPower expansion confirms Saab’s commitment to bioethanol

Saab’s successful BioPower concept - delivering increased performance as well as reduced fossil CO2 emissions - is to be introduced throughout the 9-3 range, including Sport Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible bodystyles. This expansion will reinforce Saab’s leadership of Europe’s emerging flex-fuel segment, where the Swedish premium brand will now offer ‘eco-friendly’ variants of all its core models.

The Saab 9-5 BioPower is already established as Europe’s best selling flex-fuel vehicle and the addition of BioPower to the 9-3 range will significantly broaden customer choice. For example, the 9-3 BioPower Convertible becomes the only premium soft-top on the market to offer open-top motoring with eco-friendly performance.

"The success of the 9-5 BioPower has encouraged us to extend this concept to the 9-3 range,” says Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's Managing Director. “This means we can now offer BioPower variants throughout our core product line-up.”

Saab 9-3 BioPower models, in Linear and Vector specification with manual or automatic transmission, go on sale with immediate effect in Nordic markets, the UK and Ireland. Sales in other European markets will commence later this year.

Enhanced Performance
By using turbocharging, Saab BioPower is the only flex-fuel technology on the market that offers the enjoyment of ‘greener’ motoring, together with more engine power and performance.

Running on E85 fuel (85% bioethanol/15% gasoline), the new 9-3 BioPower 1.8t engine delivers 17% more maximum power (175 hp/129 kW v 150 hp/111 kW) and 10% more torque (265 v 240 Nm). In the 9-3 Sport Sedan, that translates to projected zero to 100 kph acceleration in 8.4 sec and 80 to 120 kph in fifth gear in 13.9 sec, compared to 9.5 sec and 15.0 sec, respectively, on gasoline.

E85 has a higher octane rating (104 RON) than gasoline (95 RON), and turbocharging with Saab BioPower allows the use of a higher boost pressure and more advanced ignition timing than is possible with gasoline. This gives more engine power, without risk of harmful 'knocking' or pre-detonation. In contrast, a naturally-aspirated flex-fuel engine has only a fixed compression ratio and cannot realize the true performance potential of bioethanol fuel.

Saab’s 32-bit Trionic 8 engine management system controls the throttle setting, ignition timing, fuel injection, air mass and turbo boost pressure. It is a powerful platform that has facilitated software re-programming to accommodate the different ignition timing and fuel/air mixture requirements of E85. The only hardware modifications necessary to the all-aluminum Saab 9-3 engine are the fitment of more durable valves and valve seats. Bioethanol-compatible materials are also used in the fuel system, including the tank, pump, lines and connectors.

Trionic monitors fuel quality after every visit to the filling station and automatically makes any adjustments necessary for running on E85 and/or gasoline in any combination. That means Saab BioPower drivers can also use gasoline, should E85 not be available.

Bioethanol fuel is produced from a wide range of agricultural crops and biomass. Unlike gasoline, its consumption does not raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main 'greenhouse' gas that contributes to climate change.
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. Bioethanol is sold in Sweden, and a growing number of other European markets, as E85 fuel.

BioPower Success
The extension of BioPower demonstrates Saab’s commitment to exploiting the potential of bioethanol as a sustainable and renewable fuel for road transport. And the commercial success of Saab’s current 9-5 BioPower models - now available with 2.3-liter and 2.0-liter turbo engines - also demonstrates its attraction in providing enhanced performance, together with greater environmental responsibility.

The EU is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and a directive currently requires member states to ensure bio-fuels account for an increasing proportion of energy needs in the road transport sector, with a target of 5.75 per cent by 2010. A further directive on energy taxation also calls on member states to apply reduced taxation, or a complete exemption, for bio-fuels in pure or low blends.

In Sweden, where the Saab 9-5 BioPower is the top selling environmentally-friendly vehicle, a growing network of more than 650 E85 fuel pumps is already established and a total of 800 pumps, covering 25% of the country’s filling stations, is targeted by the end of 2008.

Other European countries are now following Sweden’s lead. E85 has already entered the market in Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Holland and Belgium, with other countries expected to follow. And in France, the government has targeted the establishment of 500 pumps this year throughout the country. With increasing E85 availability in the United States, bioethanol is now established as the world’s fastest growing alternative fuel.

Jan Åke Jonsson concludes: “We believe Saab BioPower represents an attractive and practical step forward in helping to meet the environmental challenges that now confront us. Saab is delighted to be leading growth in the flex-fuel segment and we are committed to giving our customers the opportunity to enjoy greener motoring. We look forward to the substantial development of distribution infrastructures in Europe that will extend this opportunity to more drivers.”

Note to Editors:
Bioethanol fuel is produced commercially from agricultural crops, such as corn and sugar cane. Also under development are second-generation processes which offer greater energy efficiency be using ligno-cellulose extracted from forestry and agricultural products, such as wood, straw and grass. Unlike gasoline, bioethanol consumption does not raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main 'greenhouse' gas. 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. In contrast, fossil-based fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, release new amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere which have been locked away underground in oil deposits.


Saab 9-3 1.8t BioPower:

Technical Specifications
1998 cc. Four cyl. in-line. Bore/Stroke: 86/86 mm Aluminum cylinder head/block. DOHC, chain-driven, 16-valves, twin balancer shafts.
Turbocharged, intercooled. Compression ratio, 9.5:1
Saab Trionic 8 engine management. Direct ignition, multi-point fuel injection, electronic throttle control



* projected figures


Saab 9-3 1,8t BioPower:

Power and Torque Curves Gasoline v E85

Nm, gasoline
Nm, E85
kW, gasoline
kW, E85

JUKKASJÄRVI, SWEDEN – Saab customers, VIP guests and dealers from all over the world are being greeted with an ‘iced’ 9-3 Convertible when they arrive for the Saab Ice Experience event at Sweden’s world famous ICEHOTEL.

Saab broke the ice, more than 20 years ago, when it pioneered the concept of an open-top car providing practical, year-round transport. So it was clearly a cool idea to ‘freeze frame’ the latest Saab 9-3 Convertible in a garage made from ice at the hotel, near Jukkasjärvi in northern Sweden, 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.

Visible at night from a kilometer away, the icy reflections of the convertible’s illuminated bright blue paintwork give arriving guests an automotive interpretation of the Northern Lights. The installation, added to this year’s version of the ICEHOTEL, is made from 60 ice blocks, weighing 30 tons, all harvested from the nearby Torne River, one of Europe’s purest.

Saab is celebrating its 60 years of automotive manufacturing this year and the 9-3 Convertible model was chosen to light up the sky. About 500 guests will attend the event, which finishes on March 18, although test-driving will not include the ice-bound convertible.

“Snow and ice are core elements of Scandinavian nature, so it was a very natural step for us to adopt this theme for our Convertible, the original car for all seasons.” says Marie Larsson, Saab event project manager.

“Sweden also has a strong tradition for environmental care. For example, the ice used to build this hotel is a renewable resource that is recycled each year when it melts and returns to the river. In a similar way, our Saab BioPower engines are able to run on bioethanol, a renewable fuel with a greatly reduced CO2 impact.