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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg "In the end, I just don’t get the Yukon Denali Hybrid." (http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/04/2009-new-york-auto-show-gmc-yukon-denali-hybrid-really.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Denali_Hybrid.jpegJeff Bartlett - Consumer Reports (http://blogs.consumerreports.org) - April 9, 2009

Exactly my reaction! --Ed.

At the Buick-Pontiac-GMC press conference, North America Vice President Susan Docherty introduced the all-new GMC Terrain. A steroidal sibling to the redesigned 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, the Terrain gives GMC a much-needed entry in the small crossover segment. In addition, Docherty touted the benefits for the Yukon Denali Hybrid—the perfect answer to those who feel a Yukon Hybrid didn’t roll with enough green bling.

Having spent much time in our Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, I can appreciate the appeal to these electrified behemoths. After all, these full-sized SUVs retain the power and tow capacity that makes their gasoline variants desirable workhorses. However, Docherty lost me with when she said, “The Denali hybrid gets 21 mpg in the city, 22 on the highway. That's better city mileage than a Toyota Camry six-cylinder.”

To accomplish that fuel economy in such a massive, capable vehicle is impressive. Yet, I find the comparison awkward. Really, for buyers concerned with fuel economy, spending $59,185 (2WD) or $62,030 (4WD) for a three-ton SUV seems like an odd choice. That’s more than twice the price for a Camry SE V6. And notably, about twice the MSRP for a GMC Acadia LE—arguably a better choice for most families than the body-on-frame Yukon.

To complicate the comparison, the Tahoe Hybrid we tested recorded 14 mpg city, 25 mpg highway. The last Camry V6 returned 16 mpg city, 32 mpg highway. Obviously, apples and oranges, though... http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/04/2009-new-york-auto-show-gmc-yukon-denali-hybrid-really.html

These FSP's will return to their natural role as niche vehicles for oddball situations - having perhaps a overall 5 - 10% market share.

We can't cry about the horrible mileage of full-size SUVs and then bitch about a 13 to 20 mpg improvement.

nf

I'm still waiting for the Hummer hybrid.

We still don't get at all, do we.

"the perfect answer to those who feel a Yukon Hybrid didn’t roll with enough green bling".

“The Denali hybrid gets 21 MPG in the city, 22 on the highway. That's better city mileage than a Toyota Camry six-cylinder.” "To accomplish that fuel economy in such a massive, capable vehicle is impressive".

"Really, for buyers concerned with fuel economy, spending $59,185 (2WD) or $62,030 (4WD) for a three-ton SUV seems like an odd choice".

America still has no clue whatsoever on why they should be driving fuel efficient (21 MPG - NOT) cars. Coming to this understanding is going to take a lot longer than a few years.

Coming to this understanding is going to take a lot longer than a few years.

Not really. When gas hits $4 a gallon again you will once again hear instant complaints that they don't sell vehicles with good FE.

The automakers are caught between a rock and a hard place. They see the future in gas prices, but the customers (for the most part) don't (or won't).

The automakers can make high FE vehicles that fail to sell in large numbers right now (like Honda and Toyota did), or make what the customers (in their willfull ignorance) want to buy right now.

They did this before and chose to follow the customer, then when the high gas prices hit (along with the credit crunch) they fell apart. The customers changed their minds very quickly, and the auto makers couldn't change quick enough.

It's the bureaucracy in the auto industry that is causing the problem. The system is too unwieldy to change quickly.

Customers will buy what ever is promoted as the most popular option by the media for the industry, I think. Auto companies don't/haven't tried to push hybrids in the past with as much enthusiasm as they did with the FSPs. They make a lot Pignormous SUVs, charge as much as houses for them and laugh all the way to the bank-ruptcy.

Now it's Japan leading the market and the US trying to catch up. At least customers will have more exposure to a better way with hybrids becoming more available. If only there was an SUEV (sport utility electric) that was really really big and would only cost a fraction more than these FSPs. I'm thinking with the mark up on these full sized SUVs there is (financial) room for electric technology to be incorporated. - Dale

You mean like the Rav-4 EV? :( RIP.

It takes 4-5 years to get a model out.

What's in the NYC Auto Show now was planned in maybe 2005.

Back then was probably the last time Detroit made a profit.

They are paying dearly for their hubris.

It takes 4-5 years to get a model out...

And this is what I was speaking of with the large size of these companies. They are just to big to change fast enough.

Too big to fail? Nah... They are too big to survive.

You mean like the Rav-4 EV? :( RIP.

I mean like 10s of thousands of really really big SUVs like Escalades or Hummers that have been converted to EVs. Or new redesigned SUEVs. If you could show buyers that there is a better way of producing power and still have the size, safety, comfort with more range at a lower cost of propulsion of their beloved FSPs then that would be a big step closer to removing the gasoline addiction from our roads.

I'm still not crazy about 5,000+ lb cars on the road but I would rather they be EVs than ICEs. Besides with more EVs battery technologies will improve and prices drop. Right? - Dale

Another article concerning all the SUV's at the NYC Auto Show had a quote that stuck in my mind:

"Americans remember things for only 60 days"

I hope it's better than that.

GM and Chrysler have SUVs at the show because they have little else....I will have problems understanding the other automakers offering the SUVs and pickups.

I think some are moving away from the full sized SUV - it's just going to take time.

Another article concerning all the SUV's at the NYC Auto Show had a quote that stuck in my mind:

"Americans remember things for only 60 days"

That seems to be the case, judging from what I am reading online where people are bragging about the discounts they were able to get on a new FSP (and evidently without qualifying those boasts with the cost per mile esimate when gas goes back over the magic $4/gal)

GM and Chrysler have SUVs at the show because they have little else....I will have problems understanding the other automakers offering the SUVs and pickups.

I think some are moving away from the full sized SUV - it's just going to take time.
A few of the exhibits at the show looked a bit sad. The FSP exhibits were deserted and all the photographers were 100 feet away taking pictures of the new small Kia sedan and coupe models. It's gotta hurt the product planners to see something they worked so hard to market end up despised by the press and buyers. But they made their bed and now they can lie in it. On the way into the show, I showed the guys the lot with acres of unsold 4x4s that is adjacent to the train tracks. As I said before, a bit sad. But not as sad as seeing these hundreds of guzzlers sold and out there guzzling three quarters of a million gallons of gas per hundred sold over their lifetime (100 4x4s driving 100k miles at 13.3mpg average is 750,000 gallons!)

I hope business and the consumers are finally learning to be pragmatic and thrifty for a change. Hope people have moved past the need to project power, virility, bling, and start to frown on it.

I wonder what the FE of a full-sized 1 horsepower horse is...

I wonder what the FE of a full-sized 1 horsepower horse is...

This link - http://www.dayvillesupply.com/doc/hay_calorie.htm - States calorie requirements for a horse doing "heavy work" is about 33,000 calories per day and 25,000 calories for moderate work. There are 31,000 calories in a gallon of gasoline, so that is the equivalent of a gallon a day if you don't hypermile Silver and 3/4 of a gallon if you do. If that day's work means going 40 miles, you can estimate 37.8mpg without hypermiling and 49.6mpg if you do.

The only problem with a horse is that it's hard for the fast-n-furious crowd to attach a fart-pipe, and I'm not sure they want to if they've been feeding the horse Beef-A-Reeno. :D

America still has no clue whatsoever on why they should be driving fuel efficient (21 MPG - NOT) cars. Coming to this understanding is going to take a lot longer than a few years.

You're absolutely right, Bob.

We drove out to Olathe Kansas recently to visit with our daughter. The FSP hulks were roaring by at 10+ the speed limit, which was too high to begin with, 70 mph across Indiana and Missouri.

Not only are people still driving gas hogs, but there are states out there that insist you waste gas by driving too fast.

And the new houses I saw were all oversized, apparently to match the oversized people who prefer oversized vehicles.

I really wonder if there's any hope for America. The whole country doesn't get it, with very few exceptions.

Harry

Check out this discussion at MSNBC: Are SUV's history? (http://www.newsvine.com/_question/2009/04/09/2661405-are-the-suvs-days-numbered)

About 40% say they are dinosaurs, but 60% say they are still relevant.

People need to wake up. Buying an "economical" SUV is like dieting by cutting down from 12 donuts a day to only 9. You're still fat.

All of this could be fixed by simply swapping a couple of letters in the name:

"The GMC Yukon Denial Hybrid"

:eek: :biglol:

All of this could be fixed by simply swapping a couple of letters in the name:

"The GMC Yukon Denial Hybrid"

You naileD it. ;) - Dale

I've seen 3 of these things, new, in the last week. They're all in the golf course development. Where there used to be regular Denalis, now there are Hybrid Denalis, or HiHoes, or HiLades. It's the latest gotta-have rich-people toy.

:shakes head:

I saw a few dozen of these prowling the streets of Minneapolis last fall, as I happened to be there when the RNC was taking place next door in St. Paul. GM appeared to have lent them to a number of the ritzier hotels in town to use as shuttle vehicles.

I'm all for improving the mpg of FSPs. After all, improving the mileage of one of these by 50-80% saves a lot more gas than improving a Camry or Civic by 50-80%. Two problems with this, though:

Very few of these will ever be sold, especially given what they're asking for them. A lot more gas would have been if GM were instead hybridizing a family car to, say, 40mpg. Simply because they'd sell many times more of those than they will of these.
A 6000 pound vehicle is simply not appropriate as a passenger car unless you're hauling 6 or more people. It's fine if there are a few of these on the road, but these hulks are way too popular now and killing too many innocents with their sheer mass. It's also discouraging people from buying small, FE cars -- many people don't feel safe soing so because the roads are full of truckasauruses like this. I believe anyone owning a vehicle in excess of 5000 pounds should be required to pass the CDL test to establish that they can do it safely, they should lose their CDL certification if they get caught talking on the phone while driving, and no one under 18 should be allowed to drive them, period.