2007 Saturn VUE Green Line

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.