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2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Road Test

Previous encounters with Saturn's “BAS” mild hybrid system haven't exactly

Saturn's Vue Green Line makes a return, and a case for the mild hybrid. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

been greeted warmly around these parts. I first tried it out when I spent a day with the then-new and plastic-bodied previous generation Saturn Vue Green Line. The hybrid system wasn't particularly smooth in its on-off transitions, and the car as a whole didn't really impress with squishy-soft brakes, floppy suspension, exterior and interior panel gaps as wide as the Mississippi, and so on. Then, we pitted the Aura Green Line up against two of its midsize hybrid competitors, the Camry Hybrid and the Altima Hybrid, and unfortunately for the North American Car of the Year winner, things didn't go too well. Though the cheapest midsize hybrid sedan on the market, it provided little benefit in terms of real-world fuel economy, and the BAS hybrid system on the tester was invasive to the point of annoyance.

And while GM struck out two for two in the past, and with the pending release of a 2 Mode hybrid that they've been developing with BMW and Chrysler, you'd think they'd abandon the BAS system altogether, but they haven't. The idea of going green without going broke

Those vents aren't for the batteries... or anything else for that matter. But they look good. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

is novel, and on paper very appealing. I could do with more money in my pocket, and I'm sure you could too.

So, like any cost-conscious manufacturer would, General Motors has pulled forward the powertrain of the Vue Green Line to the new generation model. It's being kept around, refreshed with a host of refinements and ready for another go in both the Vue Green Line and the new Malibu Hybrid. You get the same basic EcoTec engine, the same four-speed automatic, and the battery pack is located in the same spot under the rear seat, as to not rob owners of any practicality, not even the bins under the floor of the trunk have been intruded upon. But against the full hybrid systems from the Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander and GM's own 2 Mode, ones that allow the car to silently cruise along under electric power – something the BAS system cannot do – it's comparably primitive.

As you might expect, I approached the

Instruments contain the same info as before. Eco light lets you know what you're driving is kind to the environment. (Photo: Justin Couture)

new '08 Vue Green Line with a touch of skepticism. I thought to myself, even if the BAS hybrid system didn't bowl me over, at least the rest of the car, from its finely constructed cabin to its European road dynamics would. Isn't it sometimes refreshing to be wrong? Compared to the old Vue Green Line, the new car feels like a proper, full-hearted 100-percent effort on the part of GM to do things right.

Being that fuel economy is usually the focus of hybrids, it's a good point to start out with. The EPA says that the new Green Line will do 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, equating to a 20-percent decrease in thirst. Compare this to the stats for the Vue XE FWD four-cylinder, which gets 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, but less importantly the old Vue Green Line which was rated at 27 mpg and 32 mpg on the highway. Yes, it shows a slight decrease in fuel economy over the old model, but consider that the new car weighs over 300 pounds more than the old one (though, intriguingly, the Hybrid is lighter than the base Vue XE). Real world results are quite good too, and while I wasn't

A job well done on the interior. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

able to obtain results quite as optimistic as the EPA's, a combined rating of 26 mpg from a very solidly built compact four-cylinder crossover is very good. Although it will still take years to recuperate the cost of the hybrid components over a base model, it's actually feasible as this is one SUV you'll really want to drive.

As I stated before, my praise towards the Vue Green Line also comes from it being based on a good vehicle to begin with. By opting to develop the Vue alongside the Opel Antara and Chevrolet Captiva on the second-generation Theta platform, they've brought to market a car that's set to a higher world standard. You get a nicely laid out interior that's constructed of fine materials and littered with items that were conceived with ingenuity, such as the floor-mounted parking brake with its knuckle guard. The controls for the windows are where they ought to be (on the door), and all the buttons and knobs have tight tolerances and operate with a nice pleasing “click”. Sitting in its firm seats, you look forward at a surprisingly large diameter steering wheel, and fashionably classy orange-lit instruments

The Green Line's hybrid happenings are documented two ways, by a small “charge” meter that shows whether the battery is giving or receiving output and by the tach. Instead of idling, the Vue shuts itself off so you won't frighten squirrels or other urban park wildlife. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

that feature an area below zero to indicate that the engine is in its idle-halting mode. Depending on how saintly you drive, a green “Eco” light will shine, indicating that your current instantaneous fuel economy is lower, your personal intrinsic good reward for behaving.

What makes the Green Line enter my good books is the increase in the BAS system's refinement level. The Vue possesses the smoothest start and stop system I've ever encountered in a hybrid. The motor is so well isolated and so dampened from noise that it's out of earshot, and you don't feel the slightest vibrations through the steering or pedals. Sure, acceleration isn't lightning quick, but it is smooth, partially because the car's ECU revs up when you let go of the brake to accelerate, and partly because the gas and electric outputs are combined before the transmission. And while on the go, the Vue is generally a quiet car, without the eerie whine that sometimes accompanies

Software updates to BAS make its operation seamless and out of the picture. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

electrically-assisted vehicles. There is a bit more drivetrain resistance when coasting than I am used to, but it's understandable that the system needs to recharge itself on more than just braking alone, and according to fellow contributor Jonathan Yarkony, it's a lot less intrusive than many other hybrids. The brakes themselves also feel unusual with a rubbery pedal feel, but this is common amongst hybrids and something that you grow accustomed to. As a whole, this is the best of the Green Line hybrids that we've tested.

Because all models except the Green Line and the base four-cylinder XE FWD have conventional hydraulic power steering, the hybrid model and it's electric unit feels a little different to steer, but the difference isn't as major as I initially thought it would be. I found Saturn's judgment over the variable power assist steering to be good; it's very light in town, handy for maneuvering in and out of lanes and for parking considering it's set at a low-ish 3.46 turns to lock versus the V6's more normal 2.7 TTL, but it has a stiffer and much more solid feel when you speed up. Much can be said about the tuning of the suspension too, which features a mode called “Comfort Ride”. There's little in the way of lean, even

Cargo space, including the under-floor area is no less than the regular Vue. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

when set on this softer setting, and contrary to the name it has a European firmness to it, and to be honest, the ride is a little on the vocal side. That said I would still rather hear the bumps than feel them. All in all, I like the Vue Green Line, and best of all, I never felt like I was driving a hybrid, which is always a very good sign.

For what you pay, the Vue Green Line covers all the basics and tosses in cruise control, six airbags, ABS, StabiliTrak electronic stability control, and OnStar as standard. It isn't just the hybrid powertrain bits that you pay for either, as work has been done to enhance the vehicle's aerodynamics, including lowering the suspension which benefits handling, plus the polished 17-inch alloys and body-colored bumpers are nice additions. This tester was base and came in at a very reasonable $24,795. Should you so desire to travel in more comfort, leather heated power seats, heated windshield washer jets, automatic wipers and integrated garage door opener are bundled together. One thing I find particularly mystifying is why

Saturn is moving ahead with the Green Line brand... that's a good thing! (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

you can't get some of the standalone options from the regular Vue on the Green Line, such as heated cloth seats, XM, or a cargo cover.

Back to the whole thing about going green without going broke, the best way to think about the Vue Green Line is as such: it costs nearly the same amount of money to upgrade from the base Vue XE FWD to the XR V6 FWD as it does to upgrade to the Green Line. If performance and its associated costs are of little concern as they are to fewer and fewer people, the Green Line makes a lot of sense. Intriguingly, Saturn will also offer the Vue Green Line with the 2 Mode full hybrid drivetrain starting late this year, paired not with an efficient four but with the advanced new 3.6 V6 engine from the Caddy CTS complete with direct injection making it the first brand to offer two types of hybrids under one model. Down the road, GM will also offer the Vue as a plug-in hybrid, as was announced just a couple of days ago in Detroit. To select high horsepower and full electric capability, or the penny pinching mild hybrid ... it really depends on your point of Vue.

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