Saturn VUE Video Showcase

The Saturn VUE is a compact crossover SUV from General Motors' Saturn marque, and is Saturn's top-selling model in the United States.

It was the first vehicle to use the GM Theta platform. The VUE is the oldest model in the Saturn lineup since the demise of the L-Series in 2005.

A second generation VUE was launched in 2007 for the 2008 model sharing styling with GM's global Antara model. This marks the third Saturn vehicle to share platforms and styling with their global counterparts in Opel, Vauxhall and Holden.

In 2007, an environmentally-oriented Green Line model was introduced. The VUE is a mild hybrid, or assist hybrid, using what GM calls a "belt alternator starter" (BAS) system. A large electric motor is connected to the crankshaft via a special accessory drive belt, with a modified automatic transmission fitted. It automatically stops the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt and instantly restarts it when the vehicle must move again. Not to be confused as just a "start-stop" system, the electric motor also assists somewhat in acceleration, though not to the extent that Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system does. A Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery located under the load floor powers the electric motor, as well as collects and stores regenerative braking energy. The NiMH also provides some electric assist to the engine during steady driving, further improving fuel economy. The regenerative charging and electric motor assist functions are shown to the driver via an analog gauge on the dash board, and real-time fuel-economy feedback is accomplished via an "eco" light that glows when the instantaneous fuel economy is beating the window sticker fuel economy values.

The fuel savings are 20% up from the base vehicle's 22/27 mpg city/highway EPA sticker to 27/32 mpg, the highest highway fuel economy of any 2007 model SUV sold in the US market.

In Canada, according to Saturn "the result is a VUE that gets an estimated 8.8L/100 km (27 mpg) city and 6.7 L/100 km (35 mpg) highway." The Green Line has a 170 hp (127 kW) 2.4 L Ecotec DOHC-phaser engine which replaces the standard 144 hp (107 kW) 2.2 L engine, resulting in the improvement of 0-60 mph acceleration time by 1.0 seconds.

Pricing for the hybrid is about US$2,000 more than a similarly-equipped VUE, and debuted in production form on January 8, 2006 at the North American International Auto Show. The Green Line went on sale in fall 2006.

Read the Wikipedia article about Saturn VUE...

Photo author: gm_blogs from flickr.com

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