autos sport

Courtesy of SaabsUnited, the people who provided pics of the nice but ill-proportioned 9-5 Coupe rendering (see here) we recently showed you, here is a look at a second possible 9-5 variant. It's a computer generated image for a large, 4-seater convertible that could compete with the Audi A5 Cabrio in the future world of what-ifs.

Using a traditional soft top and nicely-equipped with a turbo-six and all-wheel drive, this car could be a wonderful option for families looking to buy into the Swedish design scene and who also want a unique mid-size convertible that comfortably seats four.

Even better is the potential for Spyker to move itself down-range a bit and receive its own coachbuilt version of the car (and maybe even the 9-4X crossover).

What say you, dear readers? Is this 9-5 'vert an interesting niche vehicle for the Swedish niche brand, or is it simply a waste of time to hope for this?

By Phil Alex

Source: SaabsUnited , Via: Autoblog.nl

This month's Paris International Motor Show will host the world premiere of Saab's first ever EV, the 9-3 ePower. Based on the SportWagon variant of the current 9-3, the prototype model will lead to a test fleet of 70 vehicles that will participate in field trials in Sweden early next year.

The car is motivated by a 184HP electric motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. Energy is provided by a compact 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack located in a modified floor-pan, in a space occupied by the exhaust system and fuel tank on the standard 9-3 SportWagon

The Swedish automaker says the EV can accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in a respectable 9.5 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 150km/h or 93mph.

The projected driving range on a full charge is approximately 200 kilometers or about 124 miles. Saab said the battery can be fully recharged from a domestic mains supply in three to six hours, depending on depletion status. However, the company claims charging times can be reduced significantly if the voltage of the electrical feed is raised.

The only noteworthy styling changes over the regular gasoline/diesel models concerns the new gearshift lever that provides selection of 'drive', 'neutral', 'park' and 'reverse', the revised instrument cluster that gains read-outs for battery status, power consumption and driving range, as well as the addition of an electric park brake.

Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's CEO said: "By 2015, annual global sales of electric vehicles are expected to reach 500,000 units and Saab is determined to be represented in this important, growing segment."

"The 9-3 ePower programme is our first step towards developing a potential production vehicle that will deliver the sort of advanced performance our customers expect."

The 9-3 ePower is the result of a co-operation between Saab Automobile, Boston Power (batteries), Electroengine in Sweden AB (electric power trains), Innovatum (project management) and Power Circle (Sweden's electric power industry trade organization).

And yes, we have another design proposal for a future Saab model. This one is a compact sports coupe named Bóreas after the god of the north wind and bringer of winter in Greek mythology, and it's the work of Spanish designer, Jorge Martí Vidal. There's no info from the designer's behalf, but we could easily picture it as a modern day replacement to the Saab Sonnet. More pictures and a video after the break.

Source / Designer: Jlsdiseny

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Even though a coupe version of the new 9-5 saloon isn't among the Swedish automaker's top priorities, the idea has been circulating around Saab enthusiasts for a while. This here photoshop of a 9-5 Coupe was crafted by a reader of the 'Saabsunited' website. Technically speaking, the artist's rendition is quite good, but style-wise, the 9-5 Coupe doesn't quite make the cut. It could be improved though with a few tweaks here and there including a longer set of doors and larger alloy wheels. Make sure you tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Source: Saabsunited

What you see pictured here is a conceptual study for a B-segment SAAB hatchback model named 91 that was created by young Italian designer Fabio Ferrante with the help of an online community called "Saab 91 Petition and Support Group" - or at least that's what we understand.

The Saab enthusiast group, which can be found on Facebook, sprung up before the tie-up between Saab and Spyker N.V. with the goal of developing through an open collaboration similar to the Open Source movement a small hatchback model that could potentially save the company.

That may sound like wishful thinking, but the group is taking the project seriously. In an interview with Virtualcar, Ferrante said the group hopes that the final outcome can inspire the styling and overall character of the small hatch SAAB has reportedly been looking into lately (read more about that in our report here).

The SAAB 91 concept targets the likes of the MINI and the more recent Audi A1, measuring -according to Ferrante - 3,870 mm long, 1,420mm tall and 1,700 mm wide.

"The overall look deliberately avoids any rétro element, adopting the current design language of the brand, inspired by concept cars such as the BioHybrid and Aero X," says Ferrente.

Notable styling features -of the admittedly well executed from a technical standpoint- concept include the classic wraparound windscreen, the pronounced wheel arches and the drooping, teardrop rear window that brings to mind the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

For the time being, the group has finished the car's exterior styling and will now concentrate on the interior design. Share your thoughts about the SAAB 91 in the comments section below.

Link: Facebook Saab 91 , Source: Fabio Ferrante

Not even 24 hours before the Geneva Motor Show opens up its gates, Saab gave journalists an exclusive preview of its 9-X BioHybrid Concept (pics and details here) that foretells the upcoming 9-1 premium hatch. The concept is equipped with a 200hp1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine that can run on bioethanol E85 fuel. With a solar cell panel on its roof, the 3-door sporty hatch also runs on energy extracted from sun and used to charge the hybrid’s battery pack both when the vehicle is in motion and when it is stationary. –Video after the jump

While Saab supports that the 9-X BioHybrid is a “vivid vision of what a future compact car from Saab could look like”, we’ll just bluntly say that the Geneva Show concept previews the shape of the forthcoming 9-1 premium hatch that will enter the market in 2010. The 9-X BioHybrid’s design is clearly inspired from Saab’s earlier Aero-X and 9X concept cars and although its rear-end sort of reminds us of a bread-van, overall, we like it. The interior looks like it came straight from a sci-fi movie, so there’s no point of making any comments as it will never find its way into production.

Underneath its sleek body, Saab’s concept hides a 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine partnered by GM’s next-generation Hybrid system. The 1.4-liter engine generates 200 hp on E85 and an even more impressive 280 Nm (207 lb.ft) of torque. The new hybrid system features a lithium-ion battery and a significantly higher power capability to capture more energy and more electric boost than the current GM Hybrid system.

According to Saab, the 9-X BioHybrid can go from nought to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.9 sec on E85 and 8.3 sec when using regular gasoline. As for fuel consumption, the concepts need a mere 4.9 lt of gasoline or 6.4 lt of E85 for every 100 km (48 and 36.8 MPG respectively). –More details and pictures after the jump