Saab Makes BioPower Top Priority in Australia

Even though nobody knows for sure whether Saab will continue to exist as a GM brand or as a stand-alone company, the Swedish manufacturer continues to work as normal and concentrate on its own business. The automaker today announced the Saab BioPower 9-3 SportCombi in Australia, the first vehicle to run on E85 in this country, as representatives of the company said in a statement for the press. The announcement comes only a few days after Saab also debuted two upgraded engine units, especially optimized for increased fuel economy and reduced emissions.

Saab hasn't provided too many details regarding the BioPower 9-3, but it did mentioned it has sent a Sport Sedan to the Department of Tourism, Industry and Regional Development in Queensland "to use a promotional vehicle for a 12 month period", as it said.

"To date – the vehicle was a feature of Greenfest, Australia’s largest free green festival, in October 2008 which had over 35,000 in attendance over three days. Promoting ethanol blended fuels and environmentally friendly vehicles, Saab and the Queensland Government will be a central highlight of Greenfest 2009 in June," Saab explained in a press statement.

Director of GM Premium Brands, Parveen Batish stated this new Saab 9-3 version perfectly represents the company's efforts to deliver more fuel efficient, less-polluting but still powerful models despite the difficult market conditions it currently faces all around the world.

“With Saab BioPower –the first vehicle to run on E85 in Australia, combined with a powerful and economical diesel - Saab really does deliver on our promise of performance with responsibility," Batish said in a statement for the press issued today.