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Click here for a closer look at the engine concept. Photograph by Saab.

Story by Saab: 29th February 2000

NEW SAAB ENGINE STARS AT GENEVA SHOW

A revolutionary new engine revealed by Saab at the Geneva Motor Show yesterday, (Tuesday, 29 February) is rewriting the rulebook in terms of power and fuel economy.

Visitors to the show were amazed to learn that Saab has developed a petrol engine that delivers levels of power never seen before from normal production powerplants. The five cylinder in-line, 1.6-litre Saab Variable Compression engine on display generates no less than 225bhp (almost 150bhp per litre!) and yet can return the fuel economy of a conventional 1.6-litre engine with less than half that power.

Linked to a powerful supercharger, the Saab Variable Compression (SVC) engine can deliver the power of a 3.0-litre engine while operating at a relatively low 8:1 compression ratio. However, it can also run with a much higher compression ratio, up to 14:1, for good economy at smaller throttle openings when the supercharger is ‘off-boost’.

The secret of the engine’s stunning performance is an innovative ‘hinge’ mechanism which allows the cylinder block to be tilted up to 4° from the crankcase, effectively increasing the size of the combustion chamber and altering the compression ratio (see illustration).

The constantly variable movement of the cylinder block is controlled, via an hydraulic actuator, by Saab’s own Trionic engine management system. Another unique feature is the total integration of the cylinder head and block into one casting, eliminating the need for a head gasket and allowing better cooling.

The compact, all aluminium SVC engine has been designed and developed in Sweden by Saab engineers, who have now completed more than 150,000 miles of endurance testing. They have found that the engine will run quite happily on alcohol-based fuels, as well as petrol.

In addition to developing ground-breaking levels of power and fuel economy, the high efficiency of the SVC engine means it can also meet all future exhaust emissions requirements.

The new engine will first be seen in Saab’s next generation of models. It can be produced with four, five or six cylinders, ranging in size from 1.4 to 2.0 litres, and will provide a platform for future developments, including direct injection, ‘spark to piston’ ignition and variable valve timing.

"Variable compression has been the missing link for petrol engine development," said a Saab spokesman at Geneva. "We can now have very small, extremely fuel-efficient engines with good performance and also bigger engines delivering true sports car performance with reasonable fuel consumption.

"SVC, together with advanced electronics, enables us to extract as much energy as possible from the engine’s fuel. That means increased performance, low fuel consumption and low emissions."