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]

If it's simple to add the Saturn Vue Green Line to GM's yearly President's Day sale (now extended through Feb. 28), why wasn't it simple to include the hybrid in the first place? Who knows. All GM spokesman John McDonald told the Detroit News in an interview about the extension of GM's 0% financing deal is that the Green Line version in now included for "simplicity's sake." In some cases, dealers didn't have any non-hybrid Vues on the lot, and now they can offer incentives for these, too.

By adding the Vue Green Line to the deal, GM is hoping to boost sales across the board. January sales were down eight percent from 2006 and this month numbers are flat vs. last year.

Related:

• Chicago Auto Show: 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid unveiled
• In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line

[Source: Detroit News via Autoblog]

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.

Auto Electronics magazine has good rundown of the mild hybrid system in the Saturn Vue and Aura Green Line models. The system basically functions like a battery powered turbo-charger, providing some extra oomph to the engine when needed. The motor is not connected directly to the drive-line, but does seem to provide some decent improvement in economy, while keeping complexity to a minimum. How close is this system to the one in new plug-in hybrid GM is showing off in a few days? Stay tuned.

[Source: Auto Electronics]

All right, GM's now in the "affordable" hybrid game. So, how does the company's new Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid drive? The Saturn Vue isn't a hybrid in the same way a Prius is (the electric motor can't drive the Vue on its own, for example), but the electric side of things does increase fuel economy (to 27/32 mpg for the SUV). Kicking Tires reviewer David Thomas recently took a Vue for a spin and discovered a quiet ride that felt like driving a standard gasoline-powered SUV. The only things that set the Vue hybrid apart from standard SUVs, he writes, are two gauges in the dashboard, the charge/assist meter and the "Eco" indicator light.

Related:

• Saturn Vue Green Line Revisited
• Saturn Vue delivers best SUV highway fuel economy
• GM vice president says automakers need to produce hybrids, sense be damned

[Source: Kicking Tires]