If ever there an automaker that made a convincing case for ethanol, it was Saab. First came the wildly popular (in Sweden) BioPower engine, a turbo four that disproves the notion that because ethanol has less energy per gallon than gasoline, power and torque will suffer.
The 2.0-liter BioPower engine (thanks to ethanol's significantly higher octane, which allows for much higher turbocharger boost pressure without detonation) makes more power on E85 than it does on straight gasoline. A lot more, in fact.
Now we have the 9-X BioHybrid concept, which merges an ethanol-optimized internal combustion powertrain — in this case a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine making 197 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque on E85 (against a lowly 167 hp and 170 lb-ft on gasoline) — with GM's next-generation hybrid drive system, consisting of an electric motor/generator powered by a compact lithium-ion battery pack. As is the case with engine output, performance, fuel consumption, and emissions figures vary pretty significantly from E85 to straight gasoline:
- 0-62 mph: 7.9 secs (E85); 8.3 secs (gasoline)
- Top Speed: 134 mph (E85); 119 mph (gasoline)
- Fuel consumption (combined): 37 mpg (E85); 48 mpg (gasoline)
- CO2 emissions: 105 g/km (E85); 117 g/km (gasoline) The 9-X is built on GM's global Delta II platform, which will underpin the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt. Style-wise, the car almost certainly presages the Swedish automaker's planned rival to the Volvo C30 and the Mini Cooper, although we'll eat our hats if that neoclassic curved windshield makes it to production. Ditto the roof-mounted solar panel and active-aerodynamics features such as a rear spoiler that deploys at 43 mph and an extending diffuser under the rear bumper.
More photos after the break, courtesy of Saab.
