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Hybrid SUV Milestones

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While the hybrid SUV phenomena can’t match the combination of peanut butter and chocolate for pure popularity, the blending of truck-based people-mover and electric propulsion technology has produced a notable oxymoron.

Justly or not, SUVs are frequently cast as the poster boy for conspicuous consumption. You won’t find the conventional press or hordes of lemmings (any similarities are purely coincidental) praising the vast majority of SUVs for their fuel-stinginess. Yet the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV achieves quite remarkable gas mileage in city settings. (We were able to hit the magic 40 MPG mark in-town in our Escape Hybrid review.) This unique quality has led the Escape Hybrid to sell out its production runs, year-after-year.

Earlier this week, Ford announced a notable milestone: the 100,000th Escape Hybrid has rolled off the line at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. With production constraints due to battery availability, 100,000 vehicles in a relatively short time frame is significant. It’s clear that many Americans aren’t keen on giving up their SUVs and the Escape Hybrid fills an important niche.

The economic climate and drop in the price of gasoline have not been kind to the market, and there’s little to trumpet on this front on the other side of town. With Chrysler putting a hold on production of the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid late last year, the twins have earned the distinction of being the first hybrid SUVs to be put on hold … two canaries in the coal mine. The market has further delayed the introduction of GM’s next-generation Saturn VUE Two-Mode Hybrid.

Nevertheless, there are seven hybrid SUVs available in America today. Over the last twelve months, we’ve had the good fortune to have opportunity to review four of the hybrid SUVs currently on sale:

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Mitsubishi Outlander Review

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2009 Mitsubishi Outlander MPG-o-Matic Mitsubishi Outlander XLS Review Summary: . The 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS is among the most sporting of the mid-size Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV), with a rally-inspired design that provides real four-wheel-drive, magnesium paddle shifters, and an optional 650-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system.

All 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander ES and SE models are equipped with a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine, producing 168 horsepower (HP) and 167 foot-pounds of torque. The more sporting Outlander XLS is equipped with a 3.0-liter V6, producing 220 HP and 204 foot-pounds of torque. The 2.0-liter is fitted with a CVT, while the 3.0-liter V6 earns a well-suited six-speed automatic transmission.

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2009 Geneva Auto Show Report

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There’s little question at this point that the worldwide automotive industry is under siege, but yet the show must go on. And this week, the stage lights are shining brightly on the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. With budgets slashed and expectations lowered, the automakers continue on their dramatic journey of remaking the modern car, as we know it.

The purse strings are pulled tight here at MPGomatic, for the moment. We hadn’t planned to make the trip across the pond with our cameras in tow to cover the show. But fear not faithful readers, we have something wonderful to share. Joe Simpson of MovementDesign takes us for a brisk video walk around the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, followed by a brief Q&A that hits on a range of the most important vehicles on display.

Joe’s expert report is divided into three segments.

Part One features Infiniti, Hyundai, Ferrari, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Volkswagen:

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Civic NGV

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Ever wish you could fill up at home and skip the service station altogether? How about eliminating your addiction to petroleum with the cleanest internal combustion engine sold today? The Honda Civic NGV aims to fill all those dreams. The natural gas powered Civic GX NGV is refilled via a Phill home fueling unit, which … Read more

Car Companies

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Watch the nightly news and you can’t help but wonder. Which car companies will be here tomorrow? It’s not just the American car companies that are under siege in this economy. The downturn has hit hard across the board and on every continent. The bright spots are few and far between. There’s little doubt that the sea change will lead to massive consolidation within the industry, and if you’re in the process of buying a car (or about to start), you can’t help but worry.

We know that the list of domestic car companies’ offerings will shrink. General Motors will soon shed Hummer, Saturn, and Saab, with Pontiac becoming a niche brand within a brand. While Ford is in the process of shopping Volvo, there’s a better chance that the marquee will stand.

The bigger question perhaps, is which imported car companies will follow the lead of Isuzu (among others) and pull back from American sales? With the contraction in the jumbo luxury SUV market, the inevitable departure of Hummer cannot bode well for Land Rover.

It’s clear that the days of living high on the hog are over. Which car companies not presently in the States will gain a foothold? Cheap cars are the future, but it will take consolidation and creativity to survive. Will we actually see the return of Fiat and Alfa Romeo, through a tie-up with Chrysler, or is it a myth? Could Peugeot slip back in with Mitsubishi, and Renault with Nissan?

With the domestic car companies reluctant to introduce highly fuel efficient clean diesel-powered vehicles, the door has been opened to the world’s automakers – most specifically the Europeans – like never before.

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