Chevy Silverado Hybrid

Chevy Silverado Hybrid

October 11, 2010|11:24 a.m.

Many drivers just love the commanding ride height, impressive utility and outdoorsy aura offered by pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles. The downside to these often large and heavy vehicles has traditionally been fuel consumption, especially in an uncertain economy with volatile gas prices. So hybrid gasoline-electric trucks and SUVs, which usually offer significantly better miles-per-gallon than their gas-only equivalents, are the best of both worlds.

We looked at hybrid SUVs and trucks that are currently or soon to be available in the U.S. As you read the mpg ratings (city/highway), remember that many hybrids are more efficient during city driving than on the highway.

Compact SUVs

The Ford Escape Hybrid (34/31 mpg) — which was the first mainstream hybrid SUV when it debuted in 2004 — remains the most fuel-efficient and starts under $30,000. With its four-cylinder gasoline powerplant given a boost by twin electric motors, it offers V-6-like power with four-cylinder thrift, despite being 300 pounds heavier than its all-gasoline counterpart. A 110 volt AC outlet is a novel and useful option.

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The Escape’s twin, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid (34/31 mpg), is also a “full” hybrid, meaning it can switch automatically between pure electric power and pure gasoline-engine power, or use a combination of the two. Ford will be shuttering Mercury by year’s end, but Mariner Hybrids are still available.

The Lexus RX 450h crossover (30/28 mpg) offers lauded luxury and lifespan, plus it’s designated as a super-ultra-low-emission vehicle in California. Its display screen shows the power flow between its electric motors, battery and engine, and the 450h employs an innovative exhaust heat recovery system that warms engine coolant to achieve operating temperatures more quickly and also warms the catalytic converter, which is at its most polluting when cold.

Full-size SUVs

The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (20/23 mpg) first became available in late 2007, powered by the same Two-Mode 332-horsepower V-8 that’s also found in the Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon hybrids. It can run on electricity alone or solely on gasoline, and the Tahoe Hybrid’s Active Fuel Management allows four of its cylinders to be shut down during light driving for further fuel savings.

Its sister model, the GMC Yukon Hybrid (21/22 mpg), similarly employs an electronically variable transmission to maximize fuel economy, can seat eight and tow up to 6,200 pounds, and starts at around $51K.

Thanks to its top-selling Prius, Toyota is somewhat synonymous with hybrid technology. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid (27/25 mpg) offers a veritable smorgasbord of state-of-the-art safety features including vehicle stability control and electronic brake-force distribution. It can travel more than 600 miles on a single tank of gas and starts at around $37,000.

As longtime proponents of diesel technology, Volkswagen’s Touareg Hybrid (mpg TBA) will be the German manufacturer’s first mainstream hybrid, pairing a supercharged 333-horsepower V-6 engine with a 34-kilowatt electric motor. It says a lot about VW’s green focus that the Touareg will be the first vehicle offered in America as both a diesel and hybrid.

Luxury SUVs

Beloved by rock stars, rappers and Hollywood types alike, it’s no surprise that the Cadillac Escalade offers a fashionable hybrid option (20/23 mpg). If you can afford its $74,000 starting price, you might not be overly concerned about fuel economy. But its roughly 50% bump in city mpg compared with the gas-only version is still impressive for such a large, luxurious vehicle.

Amazingly, the lease-only Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid (20/24 mpg), due next month, is the first European full hybrid available stateside. It performs like a V-8, with 335 combined horsepower from its V-6 and dual electric motors. But it gets 20% better fuel efficiency than the gasoline-powered ML350. With luxury features like stability control and active head restraints, the ML450 Hybrid is a chance to go green without feeling mean.

Another German gas-electric SUV, the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid (20/24 mpg), comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a single electric motor slotted between the same supercharged Audi engine found in VW’s Touareg Hybrid. Unlike most hybrids, which can use electric power only at low speeds, the Cayenne can travel at speeds of up to 86 mph on electric-only power.

Pickup Trucks

The choice of hybrid pickups available to American drivers is limited to gas-electric versions of three Detroit mainstays: the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid (21/22 mpg), its sister model GMC Sierra Hybrid (21/22 mpg) and the Dodge Ram Hybrid (mpg TBA).

The Silverado and Sierra hybrids employ the same General Motors Two-Mode system and 6-liter V-8 found in the company’s hybrid SUVs. Starting at around $38,000, the Silverado Hybrid isn’t cheap for a truck, but it achieves better city fuel economy than a six-cylinder Honda Accord and boasts standard features that might raise eyebrows on the work site, like a Bose sound system, a backup camera and OnStar. The Sierra Hybrid is only being offered as a four-door crew cab, but the Silverado Hybrid comes in regular, crew and extended cab versions.

Due to begin production next month, the Dodge Ram Hybrid is powered by a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and borrows the GM Two-Mode hybrid transmission found in the Silverado and Sierra. Its gas mileage and towing capacity of up to around 6,100 pounds are expected to be similar to those models.

The Toyota A-BAT hybrid pickup concept has been around since 2007 but still has no firm release plans. The arrival of India’s intriguing and affordable Mahindra Diesel Hybrid — which would have been the first diesel hybrid powertrain available on a truck in the U.S. — has sadly been delayed by a legal spat between the manufacturer and the importer.

– Paul Rogers, Special Advertising Sections Writer