
Newcomers: 2007 Saturn VUE Green Line
Environmental Friendliness
By Greg N. Brown
Photography by the Manufacturer
Though Toyota is currently number one by a large margin in hybrid sales, General Motors is determined to short-circuit that lead by offering 13 hybrids, with three different types of gas/electric tech, by the end of the decade. We recently sampled the simplest of those systems in the Saturn Vue Green Line. Its belt-driven electric motor is basically an oversized alternator, and it makes this front-driver the lowest-cost hybrid SUV on the market at a base price of $22,995--$5000 over the base Vue. The Green Line's 2.4-liter, 170-horse gas engine is more powerful than the 2.2-liter in the conventional Vue, and its nickel-metal hydride battery pack gives it 20-percent-better overall fuel economy and gains of five mpg compared with a gas-powered Vue automatic. This hybrid system shuts down the engine at stops, using an aggressive fuel cut-off on decel, capturing kinetic energy during regenerative braking for efficient battery recharging, and using the electric motor/generator during launch and wide-open throttle.
| 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line |
| Base price | $22,995 |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV |
| Engine | 2.4L/170-hp/162 lb-ft DOHC 24-valve I-4; 14.5 kW electric motor/generator |
| Transmission | 4-speed automatic |
| Curb weight | 3474 lb |
| Wheelbase | 106.6 in |
| Length x width x height | 181.3 x 71.6 x 65.3 in |
| 0-60 mph | 10.2 sec (est) |
| EPA city/hwy fuel econ | 27-32 mpg |
| On sale in U.S. | Currently |