Saturn VUE Greenline Hybrid - EPA City/Highway = 27/32 for $22,995.

[xcel]

Saturn VUE Greenline Hybrid - EPA City/Highway = 27/32 for $22,995.

Saturn Vue - Green Line - lowest SUV hybrid price, best SUV highway FE.

GM - May 24, 2006



Detroit - Saturn announced today that the new 2007 Vue Green Line hybrid SUV will carry a starting price of $22,995 (including destination charge), making it the lowest-priced hybrid SUV on the market.

In addition to its value price, Vue Green Line will carry an EPA fuel economy rating of 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway – the best highway fuel economy of any SUV currently available. That equates a to 20 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to a non-hybrid Vue, depending on driving conditions.

“The Vue Green Line proves you can go green without going broke,” said Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak. “With a starting sticker price almost $4,000 less than any competing hybrid SUV, it makes true hybrid fuel savings available to more people than ever before.”

The Vue Green Line will be produced in Spring Hill, Tenn., and will begin arriving in Saturn retail facilities later this summer.

The Vue’s hybrid system combines sophisticated controls with a precise electric motor/generator mated to the engine. The system delivers fuel economy gains by providing electric power assist during acceleration, through early fuel cut-off during deceleration with torque smoothing and by shutting the engine off at idle. The system also captures electrical energy through regenerative braking.

The vehicle’s 2.4 liter hybrid powertrain provides approximately 170 horsepower – 27 more horsepower than the 2.2 liter engine that powers the conventional Vue. The Vue Green Line’s acceleration is comparable or better than similarly equipped non-hybrid SUVs.

In addition to its hybrid powertrain, the Vue Green Line also features several standard equipment upgrades, including antilock brakes with traction control, 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome-finish skid plates, body-color door handles and exterior mirrors, bright side moldings and rear spoiler as well as specific instrumentation designed to provide the driver with hybrid system information.

As with all Vues, the Green Line model offers standard power convenience package (windows, door locks and exterior mirrors), remote keyless entry, fold-flat front passenger seatback and rear cargo organizer. All Saturn vehicles also come equipped with OnStar and a one-year subscription to the Safe and Sound service plan.

Complete information on the Vue Green Line can be found on the Web at www.saturn.com.

This year, Saturn will double the number of entries in its portfolio, beginning with the Sky roadster that is now arriving at retailers. Later this summer, the Vue Green Line will be joined with the all-new Aura sports sedan and the 260-horsepower turbocharged Sky Red Line. The eight-passenger Outlook crossover utility enters the market toward the end of the year.

Saturn also recently announced plans for a Green Line hybrid version of the Aura sedan in 2007.

[tigerhonaker]

This is made/produced right down the interstate from the dealership that I work for. Maybe a 30 minute drive to the facility.

How did they go from a 27mpg highway figure for the 2.2 liter (smaller engine) Saturn Vue non-hybrid to 32mpg with a larger motor? BAS should have no effect on highway driving since there are no stops on the EPA's highway test at all. To be honest, all this tells me is that the 2.2 non-hybrid should be capable of 32 or 33mpg if it was geared or tuned the same as the Greenline.

[xcel]

Hi Brandon:

___Exactly!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[philmcneal]

but this car has an electric motor to abuse FAS as much as you want.

[xcel]

Hi Phil:

___Not that FAS’ing abuses a 12V w/ Auto very much if at all, P&G’ing can. The Saturn Vue - Greenline w/ BAS is only equipped with a smallish Cobasys sourced - 36 V Ni-MH pack itself. The Voltages keep dropping as time moves forward depending on who you are reading from? This thing is not going to have a huge power source from which to draw like Honda’s or Toyota’s Panasonic or Ford’s Sanyo pack’s in use today. Not that I cannot wait to try one out for size, let us wait see how the tranny handles re-engagements at speed first. GM’s auto transmissions have been some of the best built in the world for this activity in my experience but you just never know?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[psyshack]

1) its GM
2) it BAS

That should sum it up.

[Chuck]

I'm willing to have an open mind about this.

Hope GM does not wait too long to offer a hybrid Saturn sedan - would like to see how it compares with the Civic and Prius.

[xcel]

Hi Chuck:

___The more I think about it, the more I like it too. I do not see it in my garage as I like the Escape HEV’s looks, feel, and real world potential better from what I know about the BAS system and the Saturn Vue itself. Still, 27/32 for an extra $1,500 vs. a std. Saturn Vue is not bad at all let alone the huge real world cost differential between the FWD Escape HEV and the Saturn VUE Greenline. I can bet the Saturn Vue could be a nice seller for GM if they have any money left to market it?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

[xcel]

Hi All:

___Now that I have had a night and morning to think about this, I see a full blown IMA for a somewhat minimal $1,500 upcharge. This is a better deal then I first thought in fact … The price of an FEH to Saturn VUE Greenline is the eye opener but I will have to verify the std. equipment is ~ equivalent before making the value judgment. $23K (MSRP) for a somewhat well equipped small SUV receiving 27/32 is hard to dismiss given the alternatives?

___I would next like to see BAS installed in the Aveo w/ an up to date ICE and let the ~ 10HP BAS take that little thing up to 10 - 15 MPH in EV off the belt! May as well fit it to the Cobalt as well? Let us see a somewhat modern 50 + mpg automobile for $15K or less! BAS might be able to push the Aveo there if it had the right ICE installed

___Good Luck

___Wayne