2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid

by Jim Prueter -06/2008

A greener Vue

Last September, when we first drove the all-new Saturn Vue, we were impressed enough to award it a solid 9 out of a possible 10 overall vehicle rating.

At the time Vue was available in three trim levels: XE, XR and Red Line with a promise of a Green Line hybrid coming in the first quarter of this year. We’ve now had a chance to spend a week behind the wheel of the Green Line.

A lot has changed since September, mainly due to the price of regular unleaded gasoline, which skyrocketed above $4 a gallon. Sales of large SUVs, pickup trucks and minivans plummeted by up to 50 percent and sales of high-mileage small sedans and anything hybrid are soaring. The timing is perfect for Saturn to introduce the Vue Green Line.

Even though it’s a hybrid, don’t expect the Green Line to deliver Toyota Prius-like fuel economy. Rated at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway, Green Line is a long way from the 48/45 city/highway mileage delivered by Prius.

One reason is that the Vue Green Line is only a partial hybrid — a “single-mode,” as the manufacturers call it — meaning the vehicle cannot operate and move on electrical power alone like the Prius. With the Vue, the gasoline engine is the lone source to power the vehicle forward.

With a single-mode hybrid a much smaller battery pack is used to power the 2.4-liter 172-horsepower four-cylinder engine and it allows the engine to shut down when the vehicle comes to a complete stop, like at traffic signals.

Still, I averaged a respectable 26 miles per gallon in combined city-highway driving, significantly better than the base gas-only four-cylinder Vue, which is rated at 19/26 city/highway and 22 miles per gallon combined mileage. I noticed that when the air conditioner was on automatic with maximum cooling, the engine didn’t shut off at stoplights as expected. Is this necessary to keep the air operating?

But you’ll pay $4,120 more for the hybrid Vue over the base Vue to get the increased fuel economy. Depending on how many miles you drive, it could take years to reach the breakeven point.

Other than larger low-rolling-resistance tires, a special aerodynamic rear spoiler and “Hybrid” badging, there is nothing visually different from the standard non-hybrid Vue. I still think it’s one of the best-looking and best-value small crossover SUVs on the market today.

Later this year, Saturn will offer a greener Vue hybrid for 2009 that will feature the full “two-mode” system designed to get a full 50-percent improvement in fuel economy, along with a significant reduction in emissions.

The new Vue Green Line two-mode will feature a 3.6-liter V-6 paired with an electronically variable transmission (EVT) that will have two electric motors and four fixed gears. One of the motors aids power at low speed, the other at higher speeds.

Like the Prius, this hybrid system will propel the vehicle up to 30 miles per hour on the battery only, without the need for the gas-powered V-6 engine. This is the same system that General Motors is currently using in its full-size trucks and SUVs, including the Chevy Tahoe and Silverado, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. Pricing has not been announced but we expect the new Vue two-mode to exceed $30,000.

On the road, the Vue Green Line drives and handles as you might expect, although the harder tires did resonate more road noise back into the cabin. The cloth seats are comfortable and interior look is attractive, even with the excessive use of hard plastic.

The Vue Green Line hybrid comes with an extended eight-year 100,000-mile hybrid-component warranty. The hybrid batteries will be covered for at least that amount of time.