Preview: Saturn Vue Full Hybrid

Soon, Saturn will offer three gasoline electric hybrids to fuel conscious consumers. By the end of the 2008 calendar year, the Saturn Aura Green Line sedan and Vue Green Line SUV - both mild hybrids - will be joined by Saturn's first full hybrid, the 2009 Vue Green Line Two Mode Hybrid. GM is planning to offer both versions of the Vue Green Line for the foreseeable future. The current four-cylinder Vue Green Line Hybrid will be marketed as a low cost alternative with a 2008 suggested retail price of $25,995.

The new Vue Green Line Two Mode combines the output of Saturn's 3.6-liter, direct injection variable valve timing V-6 with two active-cooled 55 kW electric motors for impressive performance. GM hasn't released final power output figures, but as a baseline consider that the Vue's conventional 3.6-liter V-6 produces an impressive 257 horsepower and 248 lbs-ft of torque. Add the boost of the two mode hybrid's electric motors and the Vue Green Line Two Mode promises to be a lot of fun to drive. Saturn says it expects acceleration from 0-60 mph in the low seven second range and the Two Mode variant will also offer a generous 3,500 pound towing capacity.

Most impressive is that this performance doesn't come at the expense of fuel economy. The two mode system, a joint venture between GM, BMW, and the former DaimlerChrysler, provides electric drive assist at both low speeds for improved city mpg and high speeds to aid highway fuel economy. Final EPA fuel economy figures haven't been released, but Saturn is confident the Vue Two Mode will deliver a 50 percent mileage improvement over the non-hybrid V-6 Vue. The standard front-wheel drive V-6 Vue carries a 2008 EPA rating of 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway, so a 50 percent improvement would mean 24 mpg city and 36 mpg on the highway for the new two mode hybrid variant. Highway cruising range will be exceptional with the Vue's large 18.4 gallon fuel tank.

Electrical energy is stored in a 1.8 kWh, 300-volt nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery pack mounted below the cargo floor behind the back seat. The battery design features 22 NiMH modules and offers enough juice to propel the Vue Two Mode on electric power at low speeds. Combined with energy saving measures like engine shutoff during deceleration and idle, regenerative braking, electric power steering assist, and efficient accessory systems, the model will be classified as an AT-PZEV (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle). Interestingly, reverse is handled solely by the electric motors integrated into the 2MT70 automatic transmission.

The 2009 Vue Green Line is General Motors' first application of the two mode technology in a front-wheel drive platform. The second mode is engineered to provide electrical assist at higher speeds to maximize fuel economy, but a change in engine speed isn't required to trigger the assist. A Hybrid Optimizing System (HOS) continually monitors torque-based data to determine the most efficient means of propulsion.

Under load such as climbing a hill or towing a trailer, for example, the HOS implements electric assist at a more aggressive rate than when the Vue is lightly loaded. As with the two mode system in the Tahoe Hybrid, transitions between the various modes are said to be so smooth they are transparent to the vehicle's driver and occupants.

The Saturn Vue was redesigned for the 2008 model year, so this state-of-the-art hybrid technology won't be wasted on an older platform. The new look has a decidedly European flair with clean lines that aren't overdone. This very capable five-passenger compact SUV is the right size for small families and active people who need the added cargo space and flexibility this class affords.

General Motors plans to roll out 16 new hybrid models in a four-year period. The Vue Green Line Two Mode is an important step in the company's hybrid evolution, along with the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Two Mode hybrid pickups. The Saturn Vue is also a landmark vehicle for GM since it will be the platform for this automaker's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The Vue Green Line PHEV will utilize a lithium-ion battery and offer an electric-only range of more than 10 miles after a five-hour charge from a 110-volt outlet. Target production for the plug-in Vue Green Line is 2010. Until then, the 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line Two Mode Hybrid has every potential to be one of the hottest commodities in the GM hybrid arsenal.