Saturn dealers will be receiving the restyled 2008 Saturn Vue in just a few weeks, but shoppers interested in a Green Line hybrid version will have to wait until later this year.
We'd tell you more about the 2008 Green Line but why bother? The 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line will offer GM's new two-mode hybrid system instead of the current technology, so today's buyers will be getting yesterday's lunch.
GM claims the future two-mode hybrid Vue will offer a 45-percent improvement in fuel economy over the non-hybrid model...
â Kelly Toepke, Manager of Vehicle Testing
bmwrulz says:
11:35 AM, 02/ 7/07
Finally, we get the Opel Antara here. Not a bad looking vehicle actually. Saturn says it'll match the handling of a BMW X5. I can't wait to see the tests for that one!
Check out the German Opel Antara microsite!
http://www1.opel.de/antara/
lemontj13 says:
12:00 PM, 02/ 7/07
Are those wheels fake in that picture?
kurtamaxxxguy says:
04:22 PM, 02/ 7/07
Isn't a little strange to have a 2008 model debut in March-April '07 (I'm guessing that "a few weeks" puts us into March or April)?
Then again if it's as much of an improvement build-wise over the current Vue as it is in looks, Bring it on, GM!
autoboy16 says:
06:13 PM, 02/ 7/07
The model year can start as early as januarary of the preceeding year.
If i wanted one, I'd wait until next year and buy a used corolla until the new 2modes are released. But personally, I think GM should bring out the two modes THIS year or just wait until NEXT year to release them.
-Cj
jerrywimer says:
05:45 AM, 02/ 8/07
The wheels DO look fake, don't they!
I'm all for the current mild hybrid system staying in production. In fact, it should still stay around when the 2 mode is available. That way buyers have 3+ choices of drivetrain based on budget and needs. In order of most likely pricing, based on technology cost and where each model fits in the lineup-
-4 cylinder base model (that's still staying around with the new Vue, right?)
-mild hybrid
-3.6L VVT V6
-dual mode hybrid
Sounds like an outstanding lineup. One that makes other (ahem) hybrid manufacturer lineups seem a bit weak by comparison too. Eventually you could see the non-hybridized drivetrains go completely away, leaving the mild hybrid and (V6-based?) dual mode hybrids.
Sounds like a plan, Stan.
ateixeira says:
01:39 PM, 02/ 8/07
Yeah, the wheels are a (bad) chop.
Any how, I hope the new Green Line gets better mileage. Motorweek just ran a test of small SUVs and the Vue did no better than a conventional CR-V. The hybrid Escape stood out far more.
I realize the current one is value-priced, but why bother with all that complexity if it won't truly improve mileage?
jerrywimer says:
05:54 AM, 02/ 9/07
I saw that episode too. I forgot the exact numbers, but didn't they give the CR-V the overall win for being so highly efficient that it was nearly as good as the two hybrids (paraphrasing their summation), and yet every bit as practical in other Compact Utility Vehicle traits as the others in the review?
In other words, the CR-V was a standout for a non-hybrid. Therefore while the mild hybrid wasn't necessarily any better in their test runs, it isn't really all that bad. *None* of the other non-hybrids but the CR-V came close!