Saab 9-3 BioPower 2007 Overview

Thanks to former US presidential candidate Al Gore, global warming has become the talk of the day at dinner parties.

Reducing oil inventories has also drawn attention to fuel economy and emissions, leading Swedish automaker Saab to expand production of bioethanol engines in its local range.

The new 9-3 range now includes a bio-ethanol model that complements TiD diesel or turbocharged petrol four-cylinder and V6 engines. The 9-3 BioPower E85 model joins the 9-5 BioPower model, which is also just on sale.

Saab brought 50 9-5 E85s here, and Saab spokeswoman Emily Perry says it's hard to predict the possible consumption of the 9-3 BioPower given limited fuel availability.

Bioethanol, usually made from crops like corn, is an alcohol-based fuel blended with regular gasoline containing up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, resulting in an E85 rating.

But since bioethanol is more corrosive than gasoline, fuel lines and engine parts must be made from stronger components.

The 9-3 BioPower is available in sedan, station wagon and convertible body styles. It costs $1000 more than similar petrol models. Its engine develops 147 kW of power and a maximum torque of 300 Nm on the E85. Powered by the E85, the 2.0-litre BioPower engine develops 18kW more (147kW vs. 129kW) and 35Nm of extra torque (300Nm vs. 265Nm) than the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Saab estimates that driving on the E85 could cut fossil fuel-based CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent.

The most efficient small diesel engines emit between 120 and 130g CO2 per kilometer, while the new 9-3 BioPower emits just 40g CO2 per kilometer.

In addition to the E85 cars, Saab has added an all-wheel drive Turbo X model and a powerful turbodiesel to the lineup.

Gasoline models include an entry-level 129-litre Linear with 265 kW/2.0 Nm, a 129-litre Vector with 265 kW/2.0 Nm, a 154-litre high-output engine with 300 kW/2.0 Nm, and a 188-litre V350 Aero engine with 2.8 kW/6 Nm.

A 132kW/400Nm 1.9-liter TTiD with two-stage turbocharging will be available from February, joining the 110kW/320Nm TiD models.

The TTiD will be available as a sedan or Aero station wagon with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. It will be joined next June by a limited-edition all-wheel-drive Turbo XWD.

The new 9-3 received a new aggressive front end design, a clamshell hood and new headlights similar to the Aero X concept car.

At the rear, the sedan and convertible have smoky white headlights and deeper bumpers.

The entry-level Vector sedan is $43,400 and the top-end Aero 2.8TS is $70,600TS.