Saturn Vue Green Line 2 Mode Hybrid Cary NC

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Critical Knowledge:

• New addition to the Vue lineup


• V-6 engine with two electric motors


• Claimed 50-percent increase in fuel economy


• Available with front-wheel drive (FWD) only


• 3500-pound towing capacity


• 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds


• Sales to begin in fourth quarter 2008

Introduction
The Vue has been Saturn's entry in the compact SUV segment since 2002. Saturn added a Green Line hybrid for the 2007 model year.

That model used an electric motor/generator coupled with GM's Ecotec 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine for a total output of 170 hp and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. The result was a 20-percent increase in fuel economy versus the 2.4-liter engine without the hybrid system. The Vue was redesigned for the 2008 model year, losing the traditional Saturn plastic body panels in the process. A Saturn Vue Green Line returned to the lineup with the same 2.4-liter engine and motor/generator. For 2009, Saturn will add a second hybrid to the Vue lineup, the Vue Green Line 2 Mode.

The 2009 Saturn Vue's 2-mode hybrid system is the same one that is being rolled into GM's full-size trucks and SUVs, including the Chevrolet Tahoe and Silverado, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade. The Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen also use a version of the 2-mode hybrid system. The system has low- and high-speed modes, turns the engine off at idle, can propel the vehicle with electric power alone, and uses regenerative braking to recharge the batteries. Saturn says this system will deliver as much as a 50-percent increase in fuel economy versus Vues powered by the standard V-6 engine....

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