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From the frozen wastes of northern Sweden to the baking plains of southern Spain, Saab’s chief test driver Peter Johansson and his small team of chassis experts have driven on some of the most challenging roads in Europe to fine-tune the dynamics of the next generation Saab 9-5. Peter and his team clocked up more than 500,000 kilometers, the equivalent of driving 12 times round the world, in their quest to find the best set-up. That meant optimizing two different suspension layouts, front and all-wheel-drive transmissions, passive and adaptive chassis functions and two steering systems with different brakes, wheel sizes and tires, as well as five powertrain options. Customers will soon enjoy the results of their work. In many markets, the 9-5 order book is already open and the first deliveries of Saab’s new flagship sedan will begin later this year. The six-strong driving team focused on a core test fleet of 15 cars, including all the major technical permutations, and established a matrix for evaluating handling, ride and refinement across almost 250 measurement criteria. While computer simulations can predict most of the car’s dynamic and acoustic characteristics, there is no substitute for getting ‘human’ real world feedback. To do that, the driving team honed the new 9-5 on real roads in Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain and Italy. From marble smooth to deeply rutted and potholed, from winding to straight, in wet and dry conditions, day and night. Peter and his team focused on getting a true Saab ‘feel’ in the steering, the brakes, the way the car reacts and what the driver and passengers inside experience. As they clocked up the kilometers, they also checked the performance of in-car systems, such as the air conditioning, audio, lights, seating comfort and operating ergonomics. “When you get in the car and drive, you feel like you are part of the vehicle. You feel directly connected to the controls and the car really becomes an extension of the driver,” says Peter. “This is why the new 9-5 is fun and so rewarding to drive. Throughout the development process, we focused on giving this car all the exciting driving characteristics you would expect from a Saab. “The electronic systems such as the stability control, DriveSense adaptive chassis and our XWD system must all work together. The stability control, for example, must not get in the way of enjoying the benefits of the chassis and transmission systems. “With this car, I should say you get that overall Saab feel through the steering wheel and the seat of your pants. We’ve developed the car to have predictable, neutral handling in most situations. When cornering under extreme loads, it is forgiving and easy to control with no sudden surprises.” |
Trollhättan, Sweden. Italian hillsides are about to reverberate again to the distinctive crackle of a Saab two-stroke engine. Providing the soundtrack will be Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson and Saab Automobile Chairman and Spyker Cars CEO Victor Muller, who will each drive a 1957-vintage Saab 93 at this year’s historic Mille Miglia road race. The two executives are celebrating the 93’s class win on this unique event 53 years ago with cars prepared by the Saab Car Museum in Sweden. Jonsson and Muller will be following, at a more leisurely pace, in the wheel tracks of the 1957 class winner crewed by Charlie Lohmander and co-driver Harald Kronegård. Today’s annual classic recreation of the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) Brescia-Rome-Brescia route is held over three days on open roads and decided on punctuality between check-points. Jonsson and Muller will be co-driven by their sons, Christian, 38, and Olivier,18, respectively. Powered by a 45 hp, 748 cc, three-cylinder engine, but weighing only 810 kilos, the Saab 93’s agile handling and good aerodynamics enabled it to embarrass far more powerful, larger cars. “Saab’s early success on this event is part of our rich heritage,” said Jan Åke Jonsson. “We’re looking forward to competing once again with the Saab 93, although we won’t be driving it quite so fast.” This year’s event, from 6 – 8 May, is Victor Muller’s tenth Mille Miglia. “The 93 is unlike any other car I’ve entered, which is hardly surprising as it’s a Saab,” he said. “Jan Åke and I will enjoy the event and we’re looking forward to a little friendly rivalry between team-mates. It certainly won’t be as intense as the competition between Eklund and Blomqvist when they were rallying with Saabs in the late 70s.” Saab’s 1957 Mille Miglia success was followed by Erik ‘Mr Saab’ Carlsson’s overall victory on the Finnish 1000 Lakes Rally later the same year, both results bringing early international recognition for the Saab brand. Carlsson would go on to achieve back-to-back Monte Carlo wins and a hat-trick of RAC Rally victories in the early 60s. Between 1955 and 1960, 52,731 Saab 93s were built at Trollhättan, where Saabs are still produced today. Its frontal styling introduced a new face for Saab, carried forward by the 96 sedan and 95 station wagon which stayed in production until 1980. |
Trollhättan, Sweden. Thousands of Saab enthusiasts from all over the world are expected to attend the 2010 Saab Festival in Sweden between 15 – 18 July, the first to be held since Saab became an independent company earlier this year. The biennial festival is traditionally the world’s largest gathering of Saab fans. Based around the Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan, the home of Saab, this year’s event will focus on Saabs past and present, including the newly-launched Saab 9-5 sedan. In addition to factory tours, parades, presentations and automobilia sales, the festival will include a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Saab 96, the car that took Erik ‘Mr Saab’ Carlsson to the first of a hat-trick of RAC Rally victories in 1960. “This year’s event has special significance as it comes at the start of a new era in our company’s history,” said Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson. “Many Saab fans around the world demonstrated great support for Saab during the sale negotiations and we are delighted to take this opportunity of showing our appreciation.” |
Celebrating Saab’s unique aircraft heritage, its Aero performance range is expanded for Model Year 2009 to include BioPower, as well as a turbo diesel and gasoline engine options. Saab leads the automotive sector in exploiting the environmental benefits of bioethanol as a renewable fuel for its BioPower flex-fuel engines, which also deliver more power when running on E85 (85% bioethanol,15% gasoline). Now this technology is available for the first time in Aero specification for both 9-3 and 9-5 product ranges. The new 9-3 Aero BioPower, in Sport Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible formats, has a 2.0-liter turbo engine delivering 14% more maximum power (200 hp/ 147 kW.v 175 hp/ 129 kW) and 13% more torque (300 v 265 Nm) when running on E85. In the Sport Sedan, this gives zero to 100 kph acceleration in 7.9 sec and 80 to 120 kph in fifth gear in 10.0sec, compared to 8.5 and 11.1 sec, respectively, on gasoline. In the 9-5 Sedan and SportCombi line-up, the 2.3-turbo engine of the new Aero BioPower delivers maximum power of 210 hp/154 kW and 310 Nm of torque when running on E85, compared to 185 hp/136 kW and 280 Nm on gasoline. On the road, this gives the sedan zero to 100 kph acceleration in 7.9 sec and 80-120 kph in fifth gear in 11.0 sec, compared to 8.3 sec and 12.6 sec, respectively, on gasoline. Saab Aero models are distinguished by exterior sports bodystyling, unique alloy wheels and a sports chassis with stiffer springs and dampers for sharper handling. Inside, the sports seating is complemented by metallic-effect trim and the option of a unique leather/aluminum steering wheel. For model year 2009, the full Saab 9-3 Aero line-up now offers a choice of front or all-wheel-drive (Saab XWD) combined with 280 hp, 2.8V6 or 210 hp, 2.0-liter four- cylinder turbo power. In addition, the new Aero BioPower and current 180 hp, 1.9TTiD engines come with front wheel drive only. In the 9-5 range, the new BioPower option joins the current 260 hp, 2.3-liter gasoline version, which includes an overboost function delivering an impressive 370 Nm of torque. |
New York — Saab has made a business out of producing fun-to-drive vehicles combining its Scandinavian design principles of form and function with responsible performance. Today, Saab is translating those values to clothing, launching the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection in partnership with the Swedish clothing design firm Reflective Circle designer Josefin Lassbo. The fashions were revealed at an exclusive pre-New York Auto Show party where the Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept car made its North American debut. Putting the ‘Pure’ in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection Garments in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection by Saab/Reflective are made from 100 percent ecological/organic cotton, certified by Skal International*. The mission of Skal is to offer certainty to the consumer that a product that indicates “organic” truly originates from an organic production process. The organization conducts independent surveys and inspections. Therefore, each step in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection’s production process must be taken with consideration for the environment. Fabric dyeing, printing and washing is done in an environmentally certified system. The Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection is committed to the environment – social as well as natural. Social responsibility is at the heart of the commitment. The factories producing the clothing are committed to ethical practices by vigilantly adhering to standards such as freely chosen employment; no tolerance of child labor; payment of a living wage; healthy and safe conditions; and reasonable working hours. “When Saab decided to launch a clothing collection, we wanted to do it in cooperation with someone who shares our mindset,” said Knut Simonsson, Saab Automobile AB Global Brand & Sales Operations executive director. “This partnership is not only about design or fashion, it’s also about having the same ambition: pushing an industry by innovating where other see conflict.” Little Things Mean A Lot An innovative twist on the Scandinavian design principle of form and function is the Coroso Nut. The buttons in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection are made from Coroso nuts. Coroso nuts come from Palm trees found in the rain forests. Using these nuts to make buttons is an organic, sustainable solution to fabricating synthetic materials to make buttons. It’s a small element to be sure, but it serves to hold things together. “The benefit with the Coroso nut is that its harvest leaves the rain forest untouched,” Simonsson added. “Even more, the use of the Coroso nut gives an economic use to the rain forest and so helps to protect the rain forest.” Performance and responsibility go hand-in-hand Customers demand quality, durability and performance from automobiles as well as clothing. Saab and Reflective Circle both work to bring innovative solutions to minimize environmental impacts, while maintaining attributes which customers demand. Saab has a 30-year history of turbocharging technology, which takes advantage of smaller engines to deliver higher performance and greater efficiency. Turbocharging, coupled with the use of E85 (85 percent bioethanol, 15 percent gasoline), termed Saab BioPower, fulfills the customer expectation of fun-to-drive, high-performance vehicles with the added benefit of enhanced performance and cleaner burning fuel. This is part of what Saab calls “Responsible Performance.” In 2007, Saab was the best-selling brand in the flex-fuel segment in Europe with the 9-3 and 9-5 BioPower vehicles. Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection by Saab/Reflective The Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection by Saab/Reflective is women’s, men’s and unisex apparel and accessories. The clothing pieces in the first collection include T-shirts, button-down shirts, jersey shirt, ladies shirt dress and tennis shirts. Additionally, the line will grow with items such as caps, scarfs, belts, bags as well as pants and a business wear collection. All items in the first collection will be available late May for purchase online at www.saabexpressions.com. * Skal International is an inspection and certification organization, which certified organic products, processes and inputs. Skal International inspects and certifies sustainable forest / wood and textiles and operates worldwide. About Reflective Reflective was founded in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2001 by Josefin Lassbo. Since then, the company has continuously strived to establish the concept of sustainable, ecological fashion clothes, produced ethically. Reflective wants to represent an alternative for the Reflected Consumer, who not only demands a well designed surface, but also a well designed karma. Reflective Circle is a design company with a heart. The company mainly works within the sphere of fashion and its own line of clothes, but also within education and the design of social visions. Everything the company does emanates from the same core – an ethical base which is built of soft values. Every step of the design process is equally important. Everything matters: form, function, economy, production, retail, choice of materials as well as social relations, local transformations, and global visions. About Josefin Lassbo Josefin Lassbo was born in 1973, in Gothenburg, Sweden, as the oldest of four sisters. She practically grew up in the sewing studio and behind the theater stage, as her mother was a studio tailor. From the age of 11, Josefin aspired to be a fashion designer, and at the age of 18 she received her first prestigious prize at the international design contest “Jeunes créateurs des modes” in Paris. After being educated within the field of arts and fashion for almost 10 years, she graduated in 2000 as a Master of Fashion Design from the Danish Design school in Copenhagen. While working in the commercial fashion industry of Sweden, she founded her company Reflective Circle International in 2001. Since then, she works as leader and head designer for Reflective Circle. Additionally, she provides consulting services for other companies, which includes her own concept of “Holistic design service,” and teaching and lecturing the same concept. According to the holistic design process, every part of the production is equally important. When it comes to fashion, it means the use of ecological fabrics and fair trade. Finally, Lassbo is the mother of two energetic, little boys. |
The Swedish premium car brand, Saab, has created a truly all-encompassing brand experience that will open its doors to the public on the 11th February 2008. Housed within the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, the Saab Move Your Mind room will allow the public to experience Saab – the brand, its spirit, tonality and core values through innovative design installations made wholly from ice. Designed and created by Simon Padian, chief designer for Saab and Tjåsa Gusfors – a leading designer at the ICEHOTEL, specializing in ice and snow sculpture, the installation has been inspired by Saab’s core brand pillars - progressive design, responsible performance and sporty driver focus. By drawing inspiration from these core brand values and from the award-winning Saab Aero X concept car, the installation showcases Saab’s heritage in design innovation and independent thinking. Simon Padian: ”The Move Your Mind room is designed to be a journey, a flow, a pulse which aims to disrupt and challenge the visitors perceptions of what is normal or expected. The installation is designed to create an audiovisual experience that defies the visitor’s senses. We hope that the public will find it thought-provoking and leave feeling more engaged with the Saab brand.” Visitors will be encouraged to walk through an ice suite featuring key Saab brand messages and showcasing Saab’s design heritage. Highlights include an ice sculpted Saab Aero X and impressive light and sound sequences. |
Saab’s Driver Attention Warning System is a development project designed to counter two of the most common causes of road accidents: driver drowsiness and inattention at the wheel. It alerts the driver by using a combination of text and voice messages, or vibrations in the seat cushion, as soon as the risk of drowsiness or inattention is detected. Unlike other similar systems, the Driver Attention Warning System does not rely on measuring an erratic change in the steered direction of the vehicle. It is designed to detect the onset of drowsiness or inattention, rather than the immediate consequences. It utilizes two miniature infra-red cameras, one installed at the base of the driver’s A-pillar and the other in the center of the main fascia, which are focused on the driver’s eyes. The image from the cameras is analyzed by software that deploys a series of alerts when the pattern of eye-lid movement indicates the onset of drowsiness, or when the driver is not looking at the road ahead. Infra-red imaging is used to ensure good performance in all day and night light conditions, and even if the driver is wearing dark glasses. Drowsiness Detection The system uses a sophisticated algorithm, against which the driver’s rate of eye blinking is measured. When the cameras detect a pattern of long duration eye-lid closures, indicating the potential onset of drowsiness, a series of three warnings is initiated. In the first instance, a chime sounds and a text warning message “Tired?” is displayed in the main instrument panel. If the driver’s eye-lid movement does not immediately revert to a normal ‘wide awake’ pattern, a speech message “You are tired” is then delivered through the car’s audio system. If there is still no response, a stronger warning tone and the message, “You are dangerously tired – stop as soon as it is safe to do so!” will come over the audio. This can only be cancelled when the driver presses a reset button in the fascia. The system is then immediately reactivated. Inattention Detection The cameras are also able to monitor the driver’s eye-ball and head movement. As soon as the driver's gaze moves away from what is defined as the 'primary attention zone' - the central part of the windshield in front of the driver - a timer starts counting. If the driver's eyes and head do not return to the 'straight ahead' position within about two seconds, the driver’s seat cushion will vibrate. This will stop once the position of driver’s eyes and head are consistent with the vehicle’s direction of travel. The processing of the infra-red image is sufficiently accurate to detect when the driver retains some peripheral vision of the road ahead - such as while looking in the rear-view mirror, the door mirror or turning a corner - and will consequently allow a slightly longer time to elapse before activating the seat vibration. Real-life Safety The Driver Attention Warning System is a logical extension of Saab’s real-life safety philosophy. It takes account of what the driver actually does behind the wheel, rather than what he or she should be doing. The system, installed in a Saab 9-3 SportCombi, is the work of the Human Vehicle Integration team at GME Engineering in Trollhättan, Sweden. It is part of a development program, Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems (IVSS), supported by the Swedish government and involving the national Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI). "It is a fact that many drivers do not stop and get out of the car if they are feeling drowsy. So we are now trying to help drivers to help themselves,” says Arne Nåbo, head of the Human Vehicle Integration team, which specializes in driver ergonomics and managing the interface with in-car ‘infotainment’ systems for Saab cars. "This system also helps prevent a dangerous habit we call 'cognitive capturing’. For example, the driver can become too absorbed in searching for a favorite CD, programming pre-sets into the radio or trying pick up a screaming baby's dummy from the floor." Testing The Saab 9-3 Sport Combi development car will now participate in an eight-month field trial program supervised by the Road and Transport Research Institute. The car is fitted with a wireless GPRS 3G modem that will download data every minute to a web server at Linköping University, where the performance of the system will be analyzed. A group of volunteers will each drive the car for a month, the first week with the Driver Attention Warning System switched off for comparison purposes The trial is part of a development and validation process that could see the system become available in future Saab cars. In commercial production, only a single camera is likely to be required and this would be completely concealed behind the car’s main fascia. |
DETROIT – For the first time in history, Saab owners and enthusiasts from all over North America and beyond will gather in Michigan this weekend, celebrating the passion for their cars and the Saab brand. The Saab Club of North America expects more than three hundred owners and their Saabs to attend the event, opening Thursday, August 23 and running through Sunday, August 26. The 25th annual Saab Owners Convention is organized by the Great Lakes Saab Club, with president Jim Laman serving as convention chairman. Commemorating the 60th anniversary of Saab as a car manufacturer, the 2007 Owners’ Convention will celebrate the highlights of Saab’s proud past, present and future. The center of activities for the event is the Troy Hilton. The venue has excellent facilities and is ideally located, as it is close to most attractions in the area. Though registration for the event is now closed, day passes can still be obtained at the Saab Club registration desk in the hotel. “We are honored by the Saab Club of North America’s decision to choose Southeastern Michigan as the location of their Silver Jubilee convention,” said Steve Shannon, Saab Automobile USA general manager. “I am looking forward to meeting many owners and their cars in person, and participating in their unparalleled passion for Saab.” Beyond exhibiting its flourishing heritage collection and latest array of products, Saab Automobile USA has selected this venue for the North American public debut of the new Saab 9-3. In addition, the Saab Born From Jets Tour trailer exhibit will be present, including a full-size replica of the award-winning Saab Aero X concept car. One of the highlights of this Saab Owners’ Convention weekend will be a banquet dinner at the General Motors Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, which is home to hundreds of noteworthy GM products of all times – including several Saabs. Fritz Henderson, chief financial officer of General Motors Corporation, is scheduled as the keynote speaker at the event. Continuing updates on the 2007 North American Saab Owners’ Convention, including details on the exact event location and program activities are available at www.saabconvention.org Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab Automobile USA is the importer and/or distributor of the Saab 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X SUV for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For the 2007 model year, Saab offers seven models that perform at an EPA-rated 30 mpg on the highway. Visit www.saabusa.com for more information. |
Saab will go ‘back to the future’ at next month’s (Sept) Frankfurt International Motor Show by evoking the iconic appeal of its classic ‘Black Turbo’ models. The Swedish premium car maker will celebrate 30 years of leadership in turbocharging by unveiling the Saab Turbo X, a limited edition performance car that inherits the visual appeal of the Saab 99/900 black turbos – while also introducing cutting-edge technology. This ultimate expression of the new 9-3 range will deliver standard-setting levels of performance for the brand. It was at Frankfurt in 1977 that Saab surprised the automotive world in revealing its first turbocharged model. It set a performance trend that others were to follow. Now the innovative features of the new ‘Black Turbo’ from Saab are also expected to attract widespread emulation. |
Saab’s BioPower range takes position on a whole new market. The 9-3 SportCombi is the world’s first BioPower car in the mobile phone game arena. The idea behind BioPower Challenge is to drive a Saab 9-3 BioPower SportCombi between two locations in the shortest time possible. The game has three different levels to play: Inland, driving from Gothenburg to Trollhättan; Coast with a drive from Trollhättan to the Swedish village of Fiskebäckskil (where new Saab 9-3 will be launched this summer) and Mountain, where you drive on an icy road from Narvik in Norway to Jukkasjärvi in Sweden. The fastest driver wins. As a player of the BioPower Challenge you can compare your results with other players around the world by submitting your result to a global “high score” list. The car in the game can be fuelled with either bioethanol or petrol. But choose wisely because just as in real life, choosing bioethanol means getting more power and performance out of your Saab BioPower car. The Saab BioPower Challenge will be launched in week 28, at the same time as the international tennis tournament in Båstad. For budding “mobile phone drivers”, the game will be available via SMS text. To download the game, text SAAB to 71747 in Sweden and +46 737 494 050 in the rest of Europe. The game will also be available at www.saab.com end July. Saab has a leading position in the rapidly growing European segment for flex-fuel vehicles, and is the only manufacturer to offer environmentally friendly models of all its cars in Europe. BioPower combines turbocharging with bioethanol (E85) to achieve increased power and performance, along with significantly lower fossil carbon dioxide emissions than when running on petrol. |
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