The Saab 9-3 Biopower does not, as you might think, run on nuts. It runs on Bioethanol. That’s a little bit of ethanaol, which is petrol, and a lot of Bio.
Which means, ‘of living things.’ No not stray cats, inanimate things.
It’s hard for me to claim to be green. I drive petrol cars and write for a magazine made of trees that would otherwise absorb carbon. But, for the last few days I have been cruising around in a car that has a BIOFUEL badge on the boot. Which feels and looks good – I am convinced that my friends, for the first time ever, are slightly pleased with me.
And I am, as a result, a total convert to bio fuel. Previously I thought that using biofuel meant we would push the price of crops up, that we can’t make enough anyway, its not widely available and it would give rubbish performance.
I still don’t know whether we can really generate bio fuel in sufficient quantities or without pushing food prices up but their www.saabbiopower.co.uk website certainly makes the case that we can and we won’t (respectively, if you see what I mean). I can also tell you that Saab have sold 100,000 Biofuel cars in Sweden, so they are certainly having a whack at it.
But here’s the best thing I have learned in 2008: A biofuel Saab 9-3 2.0t is 0.5 seconds quicker to 60mph than a petrol one; and, I can beat that, a 1.8t is 1.5 seconds quicker.
I can also tell you that Morrisons supermarkets sell the stuff, so all I have to do is pop up to my nearest store in Norfolk, which is a mere 100 miles away, and I can top up anytime I want.
This provides the excuse to drive along the B1135 towards Lotus Cars in Hethel. This is a flowing strip of beautiful, twisting, slightly undulating new tarmac. It perfectly demonstrates the poise and handling of the 9-3. A Saab 9-3 genuinely handles as well as a BMW 3-Series, which has always been my benchmark for small executive cars.
Infact a Saab can be best thought of as the love child of a Volvo and BMW. It is the antidote to an Audi. You sit in incredibly comfortable seats, which strike the right balance between being supportive and being hard. You look around a light and airy cabin with easy touch screen controls. You could be in a Volvo, as they are the only other manufacturer to produce seats of similar brilliance and controls of comparable elegance and class.
But this car doesn’t float along like a Volvo, it hunkers down like a German performance saloon. You do need to be in the right one of the 6 gears at the right time to ensure the engine doesn’t labour. But that’s fine with me, because that’s the skill of driving. It is a requirement I enjoy.
Turn into a corner in the right gear and you will be rewarded with a well-balanced and satisfying cornering experience that allows you to smoothly pull away into the distance. All the time your passengers will be comfortable and calm in their avaiator-class seats.
The rear legroom is nothing to write home about; its not quite enough just like in most of the cars this size. But the boot is serious and so this car is suitable for young families.
Cruising along Motorways or down A-roads is frankly almost too easy. I have driven some 200 miles on dual carriageway in this car and I can’t remember very much of it. It was just so graceful and uncomplicated.
In short, as a 9-3 driver, you can enjoy being slightly smug that you have a top-rate executive saloon, which is enjoyable to drive, but also greener than the average.
Your fuel bill will be very, very slightly better because while the Bio fuel car gives the same sort of MPG figures as a normal petrol engine, Ethanol is slightly cheaper. Plus your VED tax bill will be £20 better than your neighbours because while the Co2 emissions are exactly the same as a petrol car, you get a tax break.
Hang on, if the Co2 is the same, how is it greener? I hear your confused mind scream.
Well, because most of the fuel is made from plants, the crops that are grown to make the fuel consume the equivalent of 70% the carbon chucked out by the car. So you get a really tiny tax break and you are helping the planet. Cool huh?
Summary
It may be a cliché, but the Sabb 9-3 is the ‘alternative’ choice for BMW and Audi drivers. A smooth ride with sophisticated handling and rapid performance.
Road test car:
Saab Vector Sport 2.0t BioPower 4dr
OTR: £25,850
MPG: 42.2
CO2 per KM: 149
0-62: 8 secs
Words: Matthew Tumbridge