Larry Nitz
Executive Director, Hybrid Powertrain Engineering
With all of the excitement created by Bob Lutz’s first drive of the Chevrolet Volt test mule vehicle recently, some may have forgotten GM has another plug-in vehicle that is approved for production and progressing through early program development stages.
As I revealed to the audience today at the Plug-in 2008 […]
Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Saturn
click above image to view live shots of the 2008 Saturn Red Line
Admittedly, hot-rodded cute-utes mystify many of us, but the kids seem to love ‘em, and the Red Line version of Saturn’s 2008 Vue should satisfy those looking for a combination of practicality and power.
We’re sure that some Saturn fans were not happy with the inclusion of Honda power in the previous Vue RL, and they can take comfort in the fact that the “foreign” drivetrain has been replaced with the General’s own High Feature DOHC V6 and six-speed automatic. Front wheel drive is standard, while those looking to route those 250 ponies via additional paths can opt for AWD.
The front fascia receives special Red Line attention, and out back, two large rectangular exhaust tips remind followers that they’re not behind a garden-variety Vue. Inside, the RL gets an exclusive Ebony color scheme, along with suede inserts on the seating surfaces to keep butts properly planted when exploring the limits of the lowered suspension and fat wheel/tire package.
Mike from ABG made the comment that this is a bit like a poor man’s BMW X3, and we’d have to agree with that statement.
Check out the gallery for additional shots of the Vue Red Line followed by the official press release after the jump.
Gallery: 2008 Saturn VUE Red Line
Continue reading Chicago Auto Show: The 2008 Saturn Vue Red Line shows its face
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, MPG, GM, Saturn, Detroit Auto Show, USA
In his CES keynote, part of which you can watch above, General Motor’s CEO Rick Wagoner hints that an announcement with the release date for GM’s first plug-in hybrid is coming “very soon.” GM told us the release date for Saturn Vue plug-in might be in the end of 2008 or “2009-ish” range. From what Rick says in his keynote, I get the feeling we might get news of a firm release date at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Here is exactly what he said (watch 5:30 into the video above):
We’ve already announced our intention to build a “plug-in” version of our Saturn VUE hybrid. Our team is hard at work to get this technology to market as soon as we can. Expect an announcement on the VUE plug-in hybrid very soon.
I guess we will find out next week when the 2008 Detroit Auto Show begins. If there is news of a release date in Detroit, the best I am hoping for is an October 2008 release and maybe a few details about possible MPG ratings for the vehicle. If anyone can buy and drive off with the Saturn Vue PHEV from the Detroit Show floor, that would be okay too, I guess.
[Source: YouTube]
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