Now that Koenigsegg's purchase of ailing fellow Swedish automaker Saab is all but officially official, our attention naturally turns to the the current product lines and possible future vehicles from the two automakers. At least a few people are wondering out loud if there's a possibility that Koenigsegg's involvement with Saab could bring the gorgeous Aero X concept car from 2006 to life, but we're a bit more interested in reports that Koenigsegg's Quant from this year's Geneva Motor Show may see production via the use of some of Saab's leftover production capabilities.

Powered by an electric motor at each wheel for a total of 512 hp and 527 lb-ft of turqoe, the Koenigsegg Quant concept featured a new kind of battery that is supposedly capable of providing a range of over 300 miles after a short 15-20 minutes charge. Futher, a set of solar panels on the Quant's exterior can reportedly keep accessories running without draining the main battery. If there's any truth to the rumors, we could see the Quant hit production in low volumes within the next few years.


[Source: Green Car Advisor]

Every automaker has specific styling cues that it uses to make its designs instantly recognizable. It would seem this is especially true of a car's front fascia, and it's often fun to graft the grille and headlights from one automaker onto a vehicle design from another. For instance, take a look at the Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera, two vehicles that share similar bodywork with the notable exception of the front clip.

We already know that General Motors would like to expand its Voltec powertrain into other brands in its portfolio, notably Cadillac. Moving the Voltec upmarket a few notches would allow GM to recuperate the development costs of the high-tech powertrain package much faster. Could that also include Saab? A Photoshop expert named Theophilus Chin has created a few renderings of what a Saab Volt might look like, and we think it's pretty interesting.

Although a Voltec-powered Saab would also help move the technology into a higher price bracket, it seems unlikely that the automaker would extend its flagship powertrain technology to a brand that it's actively shopping, but it's fun to speculate on these things anyway.

[Source: Theophilus Chin via Carscoop]

Saab has just tweaked the diesel versions of the 9-3 to reduce the fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Over in Europe, the Saab is available with a 1.9L turbodiesel four in two power flavors. The milder single turbo 150 hp variant is now rated at 44.4 mpg (U.S.) in the sedan or 42.8 mpg (U.S.) in the wagon. The CO₂ emissions of the two body styles are now at 139 g/km and 144 g/km respectively. The average 7 percent gains in efficiency are due to revised gearing, taller (lower numerical) final drive ratio, revised engine calibrations and lower rolling resistance tires.


[Source: Saab]

Truth and advertising often part ways when asked to play nice together in automotive ads. As much as this is the case when comparing cars and their various performance figures, it is also just as apparent when automakers go green with their marketing strategies. We've seen it many times before, and we are sure to continue seeing it well into the future. This time, it is Saab's Australian arm that is being hit for its over-inflated eco. Apparently, a line of marketing that claimed "Every Saab is green, with carbon emissions neutral across the entire Saab range" was found to be a bit misleading. Apparently, missing in the fine print was a note that Saab's planting of 17 trees only really offset a car's first year of carbon emissions. By claiming something different, Saab was not being fair dinkum. To make up for this transgression, the Swedish automaker is now planting 12,500 trees to offset the carbon emissions of all the cars sold during this particular campaign.

[Source: Drive via Autoblog]

The Astra isn't the only GM model getting a new diesel option in Australia. The performance Aero model of the Saab 9-3 is now available with a 177hp 1.9L diesel. The 295lb-ft of torque is apparently enough to motivate the 9-3 Aero TTiD at similar rates to the gas engined version. The gas-fueled model however cannot approach the 41.3mpg (U.S.) rating of the manual transmission model. Even the automatic version achieves 34.6mpg (U.S.). The diesel in the Saab has the two-stage turbocharger setup with a smaller turbo for quick low speed response and a second larger unit for maximum power. Here in the U.S., the Aero with the 2.8L turbo V6 is rated at a mere 16/24mpg by the EPA. Even accounting for differences in test procedures, the diesel is clearly far more efficient than the V6. Unfortunately, here in the States we again don't have this option.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

When Saab debuted the 9-X BioHybrid concept at the recent Geneva Motor Show, aerodynamics was a big part of the equation. The compact 9-X has a smooth, rounded nose, a raked back wrap-around windshield and a downward sloping roof. To help reduce the drag at the back end of the short body, a spoiler that wraps around the roof extends backward up to four inches. A new video featuring some of the designers talking about the aero work that they did has just been posted on the GMnext web site. You can check out the video after the jump.


[Source: GMnext]

GM's biofuel parade in Geneva marches on with GM vice chairman Bob Lutz and Mark Adams, vp of design of GM Europe, talk to the Newspress cameras about bioethanol and the new Saab 9-X BioHybrid. Lutz talks mostly about how ethanol is the best short-term way to use less gasoline. For those of you interested in why Mr. Crock of Sh*t's would care about using less gas, he says that reducing CO₂ emissions is just as important as reducing oil imports from unfriendly countries. Speaking about the 9-X BioHybrid, Adams explains a bit about the concept's aeronautic heritage (see the rear window) and talks a bit about the next-generation GM Hybrid system. Watch 'em both after the jump.

click for high-res gallery

A TV ad for Saab BioPower was yanked off the air in the UK for tying bioethanol to reduced carbon output. According to the UK's Advertising Standards Agency, Saab's "Release Me" commercial (watch it below the fold) incorrectly states that using bioethanol-capable cars reduces your carbon footprint. The ad said carbon is reduced thirty percent when you drive with bioethanol. Unfortunately for Saad, it's closer to carbon neutral if you measure from seed to tail pipe. However misleading the ad campagn, I think the "more horsepower and a smaller carbon footprint" idea is very compelling.



[Source: Telegraph via Crash.Net, AOL Lifestyle]

This morning at the Detroit Auto Show, GM officially revealed the Saab 9-4X BioPower concept. This car was part of a glamorous press conference (gaudy, in fact, just like all the big automakers have here) that also introduced the Hummer HX concept and the GM-Coskata partnership (more on that, including an audio recording of the annoucment in a minute). This post is all about the live pics of the Saab.

The 9-4X BioPower concept is Saab's first CUV and signals the brand's expansion into other formats. As you can see in the many press releases after the jump, Saab partnered with Salomon for a place to stow your skis in the vehicle, but the green news here is the ethanol capability and the increased power the biofuel provides. I mean, the 9-4X BioPower gets 245 hp and 353 Nm of torque on gasoline versus 300 horses and 400 Nm on delicious yellow gold.

Friends of the Earth Europe thinks that some of Saab's latest ads are nothing but greenwashing, and has publicly warned the automaker to withdraw them or face legal challenge. FoEE instigated a summons (PDF) that was served to Saab's office in Belgium and "calls on the company to remove all wording and imagery from its website and brochures which associate its cars with nature or the protection of the environment. It must also withdraw false claims that driving a Saab reduces CO2 emissions." Another problem, FoEE says, is that Saab is not being clear about the CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption numbers of the BioPower engines, "which is a violation of Belgian and European law." If Saab doesn't meet the demands in eight days, FoEE "will file legal proceedings."

Related:

• Detroit 2008: Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept
• ACEA and voluntary CO₂ notes in European car ads
• It's Friday: Is Jeep's "Rock Me Gently" ad greenwashing? o|||||||o
• Tell the FTC how to regulate green ads before the Jan. 25 deadline

[Source: Friends of the Earth Europe]