Saab 9-5 Hybrid coming

Saab is working on a hybrid version of the new 9-5

Saab is working on a Hybrid version of the new 9-5 with a small electric motor to aid economy and cut emissions.

The new Saab 9-5 is a good looking car, and should help Saab re-establish itself as a maker of stylish and original cars, even if it is based on GM underpinnings.

With the new 9-5 only recently surfacing – and duew to launch at Frankfurt – news is now coming that Saab are working on a hybrid version, which will be the first Hybrid powertrain from the Swedish manufacturer.

It would seem that Saab are intending pairing a small electric motor which will deliver decent torque figures to a 1.4 litre turbocharged four-pot engine with 120bhp. The combination should yield good economy and lower emissions.

The thinking behind this setup is that the high-torque electric motor will kick in under high load situation – such as under acceleration – to provide a boost to the relatively small engine, but under light load the 1.4 litre engine will be sufficient to power the car.

The beauty of this type of system is that it does yield some decent improvements in economy and emissions, but without the cost burden of having the huge bank of high-cost batteries necessary if the electric motor was to play a bigger role.

This is a cost-effective way to go, but we would have liked to see Saab going a more radical route than this, perhaps with a system similar to the Lotus Range Extender in the Jaguar XJ which uses a big electric motor but powers that with the engine. And it will also help Saab cut emissions and improve economy without lumbering the 9-5 Hybrid with a high ticket price.

Still, once Koenigsegg take over we may see more in the way of radical innovation.