After getting the chance to get behind the wheel to test drive a prototype version of the upcoming 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line, BusinessWeek magazine gave the vehicle a very positive review.

"Hopefully, Saturn dealers will stick with their 'one price' strategy and not get too greedy, as I am sure the initial demand will be great," said author Rick Trawick. He was impressed by both the performance and cost of the Vue's hybrid powertrain. The Green Line model is the first of several value-priced hybrid models coming from General Motors in the next few years. The hybrid Vue "distinguishes itself as the least expensive of its kind in the industry," said the magazine. General Motors kept the price to under $2000 by "designing a hybrid drive that could be added on to an existing powertrain and secondly, by limiting the electric drive system voltage to 36 volts." Inside, the "lack of fancy electronic graphic indicators helps keep the costs down."

So how was the hybrid Vue to drive? Here's what he Trawick had to say:

"Thanks to the torque of the electric motor, off-the-line performance is very good, in fact the zero to sixty time beats the standard Vue by a full second. Don't let anyone tell you all hybrids are slow! Acceleration, cruising and braking feel identical to a regular car. We reported in our road test of the Honda Civic hybrid, that during braking, there was a detectable transition from the point where the regenerative braking turned off and the driver had to press slightly harder on the brake pedal to maintain the same braking load. Well, I could look right at the regen indicator on the Vue and could not feel when the regen was cut off. Very nice! GM estimates the Vue will achieve EPA mileage estimates of 27 mpg city and 32 highway. With the current controversy surrounding EPA figures and hybrids, GM hired an independent company to test the Vue Green Line under 'real world' conditions. The Vue Green Line achieved 29.7 mpg compared to a standard Vue's 25.0 mpg over the same test route. The testing was done with the A/C on and driving 5 mph over the posted limit on real roads in normal traffic including full-throttle acceleration when entering freeways. GM has done their homework on hybrid systems and is offering a very nice vehicle at a reasonable price."

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Source: Business Week