By varying the compression ratio in one of its engines, Saab says, it will be able to greatly reduce fuel consumption but not detract from performance.
The GM-owned Swedish company will not release details on Saab Variable Compression (SVC) until this week at the Geneva Motor Show, but does allow as how the basic goal of the technology is to use "considerably more of the energy in the fuel".
According to Saab, the SVC system also "allows the engine to run on fuels of different types and of varying quality."
Kevin Smith of Saab Cars USA, Inc., maintains that the SVC concept "represents a leap forward in the development of the Otto engine and will provide a new platform for future engine development."
Smith says that, "The fact that the compression ratio is now a variable parameter opens vast new opportunities for more accurately controlling the work of the engine, therefore improving its efficiency."
Watch this space for more details on the SVC system soon.