Practical Value

The '07 Saturn Vue Green Line, General Motors Corp.'s first high-volume hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), will hit dealer showrooms this summer.

The auto maker has been lambasted for being late to the HEV party, and the Vue Green Line already has been attacked because it is a “mild” HEV that lacks all the capabilities of full-blown HEVs in the market, such as the Toyota Prius sedan or Ford Escape Hybrid cross/utility vehicle.

Mild HEVs typically do not have the capability to propel the vehicle at lower speeds solely on electric power.

To some, mild HEVs are not even “real” hybrids but a half-baked solution at best. Is GM already too far behind to catch up in one of the industry's hottest new segments?

Ward's had the opportunity to test drive pre-production Vue Green Line prototypes in Phoenix in December. If regular production models are as good as the ones tested, the answer is “no.” It is just too bad GM could not introduce this little gem sooner.

What this small CUV lacks in technology and political correctness it makes up in practicality and value.

It promises better performance than the standard 4-cyl. Vue and “full” HEV-like fuel-economy for a cost premium of about $2,000 — about half what HEV technology normally adds to a vehicle's cost.

In short, it gets the job done: 20% better fuel economy than the conventional 4-cyl. front-wheel-drive Vue while improving acceleration and minimizing the usual annoying HEV driveline fussiness.

At stoplights, the 4-cyl. gasoline engine shuts down and then starts up again almost unnoticeably as soon as you lift your foot off the brake.

The brakes are a tad grabby, as most regenerative brakes are, but less so than others. A small green light-emitting diode on the dashboard lights up when the car is being driven most economically.

Starting under $23,000, it may become the unassuming HEV for economy-minded consumers who do not wear their environmentalism or politics on their sleeve.

My driving partner, a grizzled veteran of the automotive beat, was even more impressed than me after our drive. “This is the first hybrid I'd actually consider buying,” he declared afterward. Other potential buyers may feel the same way.

The Vue Green Line's mild hybrid layout will not allow chugging through stop-and-go traffic under full electric power, unlike other HEVs. But its less costly components still deliver great fuel economy.

Acknowledging most HEVs do not live up to their fuel economy ratings, GM engineers already have independent testing data that shows the Vue HEV averaged 29.7 mpg (8 L/100 km) in real-world driving, within 1-2 mpg of its closest HEV competitors, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid.

Unlike those vehicles, the Vue HEV does not have electric motors that power the wheels or even — like Honda Motor Co. Ltd. — a motor assist for the crankshaft.

Its sole electric-motor assist comes from what GM calls a motor/generator and is essentially an extra-powerful starter motor.

Its main purpose is to start the engine swiftly and smoothly after it shuts down at stoplights and to provide added torque under load or during hard acceleration.

Because this motor is not required for heavy lifting, the Green Line's nickel-metal-hydride battery pack is smaller and lighter — and is accordingly less expensive.

The CUV is expected to be rated at 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway (8.7L/100 km and 7.4L/100 km). That is 20% better than the standard 4-cyl. Saturn Vue.

GM says it also is 1 second faster from 0-60 mph (97 km/h). In comparison, the base FWD Escape Hybrid starts at slightly less than $27,000 and is rated at 36/31 city/highway (6.5L/100 km and 7.6L/100 km).

The Vue Green Line is powered by GM's Ecotec 2.4L DOHC I-4. It produces 170 hp, compared with 143 hp from the 2.2L mill in the standard 4-cyl. Vue.

GM says the Vue Green Line is one of 12 HEVs it plans to launch in the next several years that will be available in a wide array of vehicles and price points.