Saab 9-3 Convertible 2.0t BioPower

Model/Engine size: 2.0t
Fuel: Flex fuel Petrol/Bioethanol (E85)
Fuel economy combined: 33.2mpg

Saab has recently refreshed the styling of its entire 9-3 range, with a new front end inspired by the Aero X concept car, complete with ‘eyebrow lighting’ above the headlights. This makes the iconic Convertible even more appealing, and with the BioPower option, you can even claim that you have a green car – and a sexy one at that. But is it really green, and does it drive as well as it looks?

By introducing BioPower to the entire 9-3 range, Saab became the first manufacturer to offer flex
fuel technology on all of its models in the UK. The decision follows the success of BioPower in the 9-5 range and it brought flex fuel to a convertible for the first time in the UK.

Flex fuel cars, or BioPower in Saab speak, can use any blend between E0 (0% bioethanol, 100%
petrol) and E85 (85% bioethanol, 15% petrol). Bioethanol can achieve life cycle CO2 reductions of between 50% - 70%, but at the moment supply of the fuel is limited. Flex fuel enables drivers to use E85 when it’s available, without being stranded when it isn’t, and is therefore seen as key to building up an E85 refuelling network.

The technology behind flex fuel is tried and tested. In Brazil the market is dominated by flex fuel
whilst in Sweden over 10,000 BioPower Saab 9-5s were sold last year. The same could easily happen here too if there was support for the refuelling infrastructure. Saab is doing its bit by making BioPower as widely available as possible and other manufacturers are following.

BioPower variants cost about £600 more to buy and use about 20% more bioethanol than petrol (E85 costs around 2p per litre less than petrol), but from April 2008 BioPower models will benefit from a 2% reduction in company car tax, and E85 brings performance gains. Power rises by 14% and torque by 13%, knocking over a second off the 0-60 sprint. Saab’s turbo technology is particularly well suited to bioethanol, as it can extract more power from the fuel than a non-turbo engine. And the bioethanol and turbo combination means mid-range acceleration is excellent.

The downsides? There are currently only 19 fuel stations in the UK with bioethanol pumps (www.saabbiopower.co.uk). Five are in Somerset, five are in East Anglia, and the others are dotted around the UK. So very few people will be fortunate enough to be able to refuel with bioethanol at the moment.

The other issue to be aware of is the environmental sustainability of the bioethanol supply. Although the overall concept of bioethanol is good – the fuel emits CO2, but the renewable crop has also absorbed CO2 as it has grown - Bioethanol has been implicated with rainforest destruction in areas such as South East Asia, as forests are cut down to grow the crops to produce bioethanol. The destruction of rainforests is a disaster for CO2 emissions, along with biodiversity and ecosystems, therefore the world is currently waiting for the second generation of biofuels, which will be more sustainable. The UK has just gained its first bioethanol production plant (see our separate feature), and developments such as this will help the situation, although the food versus fuel debate will continue to rage until we get non-food biofuel crops.

So aside from the debate over the green-ness of its fuel, does the car drive as well as it looks? (a recent restyle has certainly made the car much cleaner-looking). Well, the Saab 9-3 range is more of a comfortable car to drive than an out-and-out driver’s car. The 9-3 is based on the same chassis as the latest Vauxhall Vectra so it has front wheel drive, and with high power outputs from the turbo engines, there is always a tendency to feel the front wheels scrabbling to get forward motion through the steering wheel. Technology has been applied to minimise this issue, but this contributes to the car having a soft feel rather than the more direct experience of some rivals, and the chassis as a whole doesn’t make it a fun car to drive.

However the typical buyer of a Saab is more interested in being seen to be different than driving on the edge all the time. This is certainly a stylish and comfortable car to spend time in, although in the convertible version, wind noise is always evident at motorway speeds. The roof will only electrically remove itself if the boot is virtually empty, but when it does so, it leaves a sleek looking car.

The unique Saab design approach continues with the dashboard and the interior, and features such as the ignition key being positioned next to the handbrake is another individual Saab feature. A good range of controls on the steering wheel makes life in the driver’s seat more convenient, and if happens to rain with the top down, Saab has thoughtfully fitted water-repellent upholstery. Two BioPower convertible trim levels are available, Linear SE and Vector Sport.

There are two BioPower engine variants, a 1.8t and a 2.0t – both are 1998c engines, but with 175hp and 200hp respectively. Manual and automatic gearbox options are available.

So the 9-3 BioPower Convertible is a stylish car, with a green approach that is different from a hybrid or an efficient diesel. It’s more of a comfortable cabrilolet than a rewarding driver’s car, but as a stylish, green, four-seater convertible, there aren’t many rivals.

And Saab is to be applauded in supporting the flex fuel market. The company has recognised that in order to increase the refuelling network, flex fuel cars need to be in circulation, and the £600 premium is a small price to pay for bringing E85 to the masses. If you don’t want a flex-fuel engine, there are petrols and diesels to choose from, and saloons and estates (called SportWagons) if a convertible isn’t for you.

Coming soon will be a new 1.9 litre TTiD (twin-turbo diesel) engine, providing great performance and good economy. We’ve driven a pre-production estate, which has outstanding performance, but can you guess the problem? The huge torque results in the front wheels being unable to cope with the delivery. There is a 9-3 cross wheel drive option (XWD) coming, and this engine desperately needs it, however development work is still being carried out at Saab to mate these two technologies successfully.

In the meantime the 9-3 BioPower Convertible is a stylish green statement if you can get hold of the fuel, and if you don’t mind the lack of government financial incentives to convert you to biofuel.