10.1.2006
Saab BioPower wins award

The Saab BioPower won the FuturAuto award, an annual award given by the Professional Journalists of the Automobile Press (Beroepsjournalisten van de AutomobielPers; BJAP) in Belgium. The Saab BioPower was elected out of twenty candidates.

The FuturAuto award recognizes an innovative products or technologies that benefit motorists, in the broadest possible sense. The innovation can relate to safety, environmental performance, fuel consumption, or comfort.

The 2006 FuturAuto award will be presented on the Saab stand at the 2006 Brussels Motor Show at noon on the press day, Tuesday, January 10.

Saab leads the premium segment in offering a model fuelled by ethanol, an eco-friendly renewable energy source. The Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower is not only more environmentally sound, it also produces more power and performance than its gasoline equivalent. It is already an outstanding sales success in Sweden, where more than 5,500 cars have been ordered following the launch last July.

Using sophisticated turbo technology and the adaptability of its Trionic engine management system, the Saab 9-5 2.0t BioPower engine takes full advantages of the higher octane rating of E85 fuel. It delivers 180 bhp and 280 Nm of torque, compared to 150 bhp and 240 Nm with gasoline -- a significant 20 percent increase in maximum power and 16 percent more torque.

Ethanol fuel is produced commercially from agricultural crops, such as corn and sugar cane. Unlike gasoline, its consumption does not raise atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2), the "greenhouse" gas that contributes to global warming.