Click the Saturn Vue Hybrid for a high res gallery

The Saturn Vue was the first hybrid model from General Motors and has lived on through an entire model cycle. For 2008, the Vue was completely redesigned, though the mild hybrid system was carried over with few changes. We think that the new model is rather attractive, so it gets points for style. The fact that it uses a lower-tech hybrid system brings it back down, though. There will be a new 2-Mode Vue hybrid available shortly, but it's not out yet, so we're sticking with the mild unit (someday, a plug-in version will be available as well). Still the 5kW motor/generator is able to make a decent improvement in fuel economy. According to the EPA, the non-hybrid Vue manages 19 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Total estimated cost for a year's worth of fuel is $2,757. The hybrid version manages 25 in the city and a whopping 32 on the highway, which should result in a savings of about $600 in a year. The Vue gets extra brownie points for coming in at just $25,370. That price makes it the cheapest hybrid SUV on our list. Still, we think there's a better option. This one.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Two-Mode Vue

Ever since the initial hybrid version of the Saturn Vue, the "different kind of company" chose to go its own way by badging its fuel-saving wares as Green Lines. This designation will be going the way of the Dodo in favor of the much more simple and recognizable designation of simply "hybrid." The reasoning is that the Green Line badge adds unnecessary confusion to Saturn's line of vehicles and is too long for marketing purposes. This becomes especially true as General Motors rolls out new versions of its hybrid technology. Soon, the Saturn Vue will be granted the sophisticated 2-Mode technology as is used on full-size SUVs from GM such as the GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade. While the current Vue is well priced considering its decent fuel mileage of 25 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway, the new 2-Mode model will be capable of powering the vehicle on electricity alone and should be available in 2009.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Click the Astra for a high res gallery

The launch of the new Saturn Astra marked a turning point for GM's youngest brand as it finally abandoned the idea of making a different kind of American small car to compete with imports. The Astra is in fact an import produced in Europe by Opel. For its initial production run, Saturn is only offering the car with one engine, a 1.8L four cylinder, and a choice of either a 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic transmission. Here at ABG we've only had a couple of brief opportunities to drive the new Astra and we'll try to get one for a full review soon. In the meantime, there are two other reviews up right now. Our pal Chris over on the Autoblog side of the house just had one and Canadian Driver also published their review. As Saturn's smallest car, the Astra would be expected to be efficient and compared to many cars on the road in the US right now it is. But context is everything. Chris managed to achieve 28mg during his week with the car while our colleagues to the north got 29.4mpg. Chris was actually impressed by the mileage beating all the other cars he has tested over the past year. Among cars available to Americans it's not in Prius territory, but it's not shabby. The Canadians on the other hand are used to significantly higher gas prices and more fuel efficient cars. As such, they saw the similar mileage as somewhat disappointing - which it is in comparison to what Euro Astra's can achieve with even smaller engines and diesels. Next year, the U.S. Astra will get a smaller 1.4L turbo engine with similar power to the current unit but improved economy and, hopefully, the four speed automatic will also go away in favor of a six speed.


All photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.
[Sources: Autoblog, Canadian Driver]

Click the PHEV Saturn Vue for a high res gallery

Following the Saturn press conference at the Detroit Auto Show, Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak put a post on GM's Fastlane blog about the vehicles that were shown. In the comments section of that post readers asked lots of questions about what Saturn had shown and where the company is going. In the latest entry on the blog, Kyle Johnson, director of Saturn communications, has responded to some of the more interesting questions such as why does it take so long to build a new vehicle when they can get a concept from drawing board to stage in six months. Unfortunately the answers aren't as detailed as they might have been in some cases. That timing question should have mentioned the fact that concepts that are built so quickly are generally non-functional or barely functional. All the systems that are required on a real car are generally not present on a concept. Check out the all the questions and responses at the Fastlane blog.



[Source: General Motors Fastlane Blog]

Jim Dawson gives a great tour of his 1994 Saturn SL1 converted to run on electricity for an Illinois public access cable show (you can watch the video below the fold). Jim shows us the insides of his four-door electric car, pointing out all the changes he made and then takes us for a drive. There is a fuse so Jim does not have to worry about electrocution and everything else - like brakes, air bags, etc. - is basically the same.

Jim could not leave the back suspension alone though because he added a thousand pounds of batteries which gets him up to 80-mile range. Jim has put over 8,000 miles on his electric Saturn and likes paying only 2 cents a mile (30 MPG gas car with $3 a barrel a gas costs 20 cents a mile). Jim thinks more people will be interested in electric cars when gas hits $4 this Summer.

[Source: YouTube]

Super Bowl XLII airs Sunday (Feb. 3) and GM is debating if it should air ads for the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Vue hybrids in the iconic event. "The debate we're having is we're not sure we'll have enough inventory [of the new hybrids] on February 3 to warrant running an ad for them during the Super Bowl. ... We don't want to frustrate consumers," GM spokeswoman Ryndee Carney tells InsideLine. Nissan, Audi, Hyundai and Toyota will also air ads this Super Bowl but not for hybrids. Toyota, for example, will air ads for the Sequoia SUV and new Corolla.

Related:

• It's the Colts, the Bears and Segways in Super Bowl action this weekend (2007)
  
• Honda to talk up superior fuel efficiency in Super Bowl ad (2007)
  
• Volkswagen kicks off cross-country DIESELUTION tour

[Source: InsideLine]

The video above is a news report about AFS Trinity Power's new hybrid from CNN. The New York Times has an article about the hybrid which will be at the Detroit Auto Show. Grist, a popular green blog, says they were interviewed for a report by CBS New that will air this weekend. Some of our readers have sent tips and commented on the hybrid as well. AFS Trinity converted a Saturn Vue hybrid and says the vehicle now gets 150 miles per gallon for just $8,700 extra. Is this a break through? I don't think so.

I have posted not-so-positive things about conversion companies before. I honestly admire their work and think they are doing great things. The only problem is the automakers want to make hybrids now and I see little possibility conversion companies can compete with them by converting cars that automakers plan to convert themselves. For example, one of our readers commented about AFS in a post I wrote about GM's CEO hinting of big news on the plug-in Saturn Vue, almost exactly the same kind of car AFS Trinity is showing.

You tell me readers, do you think AFS Trinity made a better hybrid than GM with "off the shelf parts"? Even if they did, GM will have many good come-backs like, we make the VUE and AFS voids your warranty, if a reporter asks them about it. I simply don't see how AFS Trinity wins here. A little advice for conversion companies: don't convert GM's hybrids. GM plans to release a hybrid every 3 months for the next 4 years. A little advice for the popular press too: read AutoblogGreen :D

[Source: CNN, New York Times, Grist]

In his CES keynote, part of which you can watch above, General Motor's CEO Rick Wagoner hints that an announcement with the release date for GM's first plug-in hybrid is coming "very soon." GM told us the release date for Saturn Vue plug-in might be in the end of 2008 or "2009-ish" range. From what Rick says in his keynote, I get the feeling we might get news of a firm release date at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Here is exactly what he said (watch 5:30 into the video above):

We've already announced our intention to build a "plug-in" version of our Saturn VUE hybrid. Our team is hard at work to get this technology to market as soon as we can. Expect an announcement on the VUE plug-in hybrid very soon.

I guess we will find out next week when the 2008 Detroit Auto Show begins. If there is news of a release date in Detroit, the best I am hoping for is an October 2008 release and maybe a few details about possible MPG ratings for the vehicle. If anyone can buy and drive off with the Saturn Vue PHEV from the Detroit Show floor, that would be okay too, I guess.

[Source: YouTube]

At the Paris Motor Show, General Motors Product guru Bob Lutz, confirmed to reporters that the next generation Opel Corsa will in fact come to the US market. Unfortunately since Opel just introduced a redesigned Corsa in Europe that is not designed to to meet US regulations, it'll be the next generation Corsa that comes to the US. This means we likely won't see a Corsa hear until model year 2010 or 2011.

The Corsa will continue the product sharing between Opel and Saturn. The original L-series Saturn was based on a previous generation Opel Vectra and the new Aura is the current generation Vectra. The new Sky Roadster goes the other way and is sold as an Opel in Europe. The Saturn-badged Corsa will be built in the US and GM is planning for volumes of 80,000-100,000 per year. The current Corsa is smaller than the recently introduced Toyota Yaris. Ford needs to scramble now to bring a version of the Fiesta or Ka to the US market. According to Automotive News, Mexico is the likely production site for the new car because of the tight margins on small cars like this. GM has already built and sold previous generation Corsas in Mexico for the Mexican and Central American Markets.

[Source: Automotive News and World Wide Automotive Report]

Just got back from NextFest. Dubbed Wired's version of a new world's fair, NextFest brought together more than 130 exhibitors bearing new technologies in a plethora of fields from all over the globe. Given that it's being held just 3 short subway stops from my apartment, I couldn't quite think of a reason to miss it.

I have to admit, it wasn't quite as big as I thought it would be, but there was still a lot going on. There were a number of worthy exhibits - some green, some interactive and some just plain cool. Our focus here, however, is green land transportation, so I'll try to stay on topic as best I can in the subsequent posts.

As Sam mentioned earlier, GM brought a "portfolio of green advanced propulsion technologies" under their Chevrolet, GMC and Saturn badges. They were the only major auto manufacturer to show up which, of course, is understandable as I imagine everyone else is busy flexing their muscles in Paris. There were, however, a handful of other interesting green vehicles including the Buckeye Bullet (Ohio State's claim to having built "the fastest electric car in the world"), an E85-electric hybrid Chevy Equinox built by Virginia Tech, Xof1's (pronounced "power of one") solar project car aimed at setting a world distance record, Carl Vogel's electric Harley-Davidson and Wheelsurf's recreational disk-shaped motorcycle (trust me, you'll love this one).

More to come soon...

The Saturn Vue Green Line, due out later this summer, has received an EPA rating of 32 miles per gallon, the highest highway rating ever for an SUV, according to Automobile. In line with its mild hybrid technology, consisting of an integrated belt-driven starter-alternator, the highway efficiency is excellent, but its city driving efficiency of 27 mpg is lower than the comparable Ford Escape Hybrid, which is rated at 36 mpg in the city. The improved highway efficiency for the Vue can be attributed improved aerodynamics and an ECU that allows for fuel shut off on deceleration. Where the Vue Green Line really shines is the price department, undercutting the Ford Escape Hybrid by $4,000. Instead of a shift light street racers crave, the eco crowd gets an "eco" light in the Vue, warning the driver when the current fuel economy is higher than average.

[Source: Automobile]