We attended the New York-area "GM Collection" event this week, which is basically an opportunity for journalists to drive a variety of 2009 models up at Bear Mountain, an hour or so outside Manhattan. What we didn't know going in was that GM would bring along three production-spec examples of the '09 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and that this would be the first opportunity to take the new gas-electric 'ute for a spin. Bear in mind that this impression is based on about 25 minutes of shared time with the car (we buddied up with Jalopnik's Wes Siler). The official full-dog-and-pony-show media launch event is set to take place in December, and we'll be on hand for that as well. For now though, follow the jump to see some initial impressions of the new Saturn hybrid.


All Photos Copyright © 2008 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.

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 the Volt for a high-res gallery

Round and round we go... where we stop, nobody knows! That sounds like an apt description of the merry-go-round that is the Chevrolet Volt, especially when pricing and delivery date are concerned. Perhaps what we are witnessing in this case is the first truly transparent product launch in history. Do major shifts like this happen with all vehicles, or is the new technology needed to make the Volt a reality causing pricing headaches for GM management? Maybe it's all of the above. Whatever the case, GM CEO Jim Wagoner has been quoted on Forbes as suggesting that General Motors will be selling an electric car for less than $30,000 by the year 2010.

Another possible explanation for this pricing confusion could involve the upcoming plug-in Saturn Vue. How can we be sure that Wagoner was referring to the Volt when he cited the pricing and deadline of the electric vehicle? We can't. It's possible that GM could have a plug-in Vue ready for the market in 2010 with an electric-only mode, making it an electric car of sorts. We'll just need to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the Volt's, and the Vue's, debut.

[Source: Forbes]

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]

The first generation Saturn Vue has been retired and replaced by a new global compact crossover platform from General Motors. The new vehicles are being shared by various GM brands and sold around the world as Opels, Saturns and Chevys. While all the variants get the same body style they will have a variety of different powertrain options. Both the Opel Antara and the Saturn Vue get the 2.4L four cylinder as a base engine but from there they diverge. The Antara gets a 3.2L version of GM's twin-cam V-6 while the Vue uses a 3.6L variant.

The most efficient models are where the largest differences lie. The Opel has a two versions of the new 2.0L common-rail diesel with 127hp or 150hp. The Vue instead will offer two completely different hybrid powertrains. The less expensive mild hybrid system carries over the GM belt-alternator-starter system from the previous Vue (read the ABG Review) mated to the 2.4L engine. The second hybrid that will show up next year is the two-mode system that we already saw recently in the full-size Tahoe/Yukon mated to the 3.6L V-6. Further out in 2009 we should see a plug-in hybrid variant of the two-mode system. For comparison, the diesel Antara is rated at 26.4mpg/34.6mpg city/hwy while the mild hybrid Vue gets 27/32 mpg. The hybrid numbers are for 2007 model, '08 numbers aren't out yet. We'll have to wait a while yet to get data on the two mode.

What we won't see is a diesel, at least not yet. At some point as the fuel economy regulations get tighter we may end up seeing a diesel/hybrid combination, although by that time we might also see something like the E-Flex powertrain from the Volt in a cross-over platform. For now though the performance is comparable but if diesel engines start to catch on in the US market anything is possible.

[Source: Wards Auto World]

Click image for photo gallery

People have a variety of reasons for buying hybrid vehicles, one of which is saving money on fuel – they go green to save some green. For others, there's the sincere motivation of environmental stewardship. And for others still, though they may be loath to admit, there's an undeniable ego aspect – think of that hybrid badge as the automotive equivalent of a polo pony on a collared shirt.

The one "problem" with hybrids is that they cost more than non-hybrid cars – you pay a premium for the technology. That added cover charge may be enough to keep some from getting past that green velvet rope. To try and address this, General Motors has developed its Green Line "light" hybrid system.

GM was obviously watching closely as other companies like Toyota, Honda, and Ford made waves and grabbed headlines with their high-profile hybrid vehicles. In response, GM earmarked Saturn to be the brand to offer a mass-market hybrid, and it would go after customers by marketing an inexpensive alternative to other, more costly hybrids. The result is the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line.

Follow the jump for our full review.

(Editor's note: to read the rest of Derrick's NextFest coverage, click here)



When I heard that GM was showcasing their "portfolio of green advanced propulsion technologies" at NextFest, the first thing that came to mind was that this is finally my chance to get a first-hand look at the fuel cell-powered Chevrolet Sequel. No, I didn't get to jump in the car and cruise along the Hudson down the West Side Highway, but I did manage to shoot a few good pics. The car looks great in person especially with its monstrous 22-inch wheels.

The Sequel was highlight of GM's exhibit, but it wasn't the only concept to make an appearance. GM brought the 2002 Hy-wire fuel cell concept, the 2005 GMC Graphyte hybrid concept SUV, the Saturn Vue Greenline, the Saturn Aura hybrid and the flex-fuel capable Chevy Avalanche. Unfortunately, the Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell car wasn't on-hand, but there's still lots more after the jump.

Ann Job provides a more extensive review of the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line than the one previously posted by Automobile. She speculates, for example, that the "Eco" light, which brightens when the Vue exceeds government fuel standards, is vacuum-operated instead of using a computer to determine mileage. She finds the setup a bit odd since hybrid buyers want to know how much they save fuel-wise.

Job finds the Vue's hybrid simple, too, though still effective. Unlike Toyota's or Ford's hybrids (but similar to Honda's vehicles), the Vue uses batteries to back up the main four-cylinder engine. The other two automakers have their hybrid engines switch between the battery and the regular engines. The Vue's gas mileage at 27/32 mpg is still respectable, providing more than 5 mpg better than the gas version. The Toyota Highlander hybrid, however, gets 33/28* mpg with its V6 engine. Job did find the Vue's hybrid engine transitioning between its two systems more smoothly than the Highlander which felt like it would stall at times.

Job provides more details at the link. The Vue hybrid costs $10,000 less than the Highlander. With the automakers' different approaches to hybrids, does either one have a clear advantage in justifying their SUVs' higher cost?

*The figures are not reversed. The Highlander and Ford Escape primarily use their batteries in city driving.

Related:

• Saturn Vue delivers best SUV highway fuel economy
• Saturn announces pricing for 2007 Vue Green Line hybrid

[Source: Associated Press via MSNBC]

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]