Saturn Vue hybrid, mild hybrid, debut begins

Buy a Saturn Vue hybrid and you can 'Go green without going broke' according to GM.

I've long been a critic of GM's hybrid efforts and I am not terribly fond of the Vue hybrid, simply because it is a mild hybrid. Ultimately, I just cannot take GM's green efforts seriously until they offer a full hybrid vehicle.

Full hybrid vehicles, unlike mild hybrids, offer the ability to function on electric power alone at low speeds, such as stop-and-go and slow-and-go conditions. Such driving conditions produce the worst fuel economy and result in the most global warming causing emissions. Fortunately, such conditions are also the optimal conditions for full hybrid performance.

Consequently, mild hybrids just don't quite cut the mustard.

Earlier this week LA Times auto critic, Dan Neil, called the Vue hybrid "a maximally minimal venture in hybrid powertrain technology that would seem less about fuel economy and more about securing coveted hybrid badges on the doors."

But his praise of GM's hybrid efforts didn't end there. "As much as I hate to diss any hybrid, this seems a pretty desultory effort." I could go on, but I won't, but you can read it all on Dan's LA Times article.