Costa Mesa, CA – With gas prices pushing $5 bucks a gallon in recent weeks the
thought of a Hybrid seemed to make sense, although I’m not a believer in the
doom and gloom of the oil reserves going dry or that global warming is 100%
man-made, especially with the passenger vehicle taking all the blame for it. Many other factors play into the
“global warming” argument. One that
really gets me going is all the hype about the “plug-in” Hybrid due in the
market in the near future. A
question that no one seems to be able to answer is how much extra coal is going
to have to be dug up and burned to create electricity to charge your car which
is supposed to have no or little carbon footprint? I’m no scientist but common sense
tells me that burning more coal to charge your “plug-in” is not a fair trade off
and we would all be better off with efficiently engineered gas and better yet
diesel, powered vehicles. Enough of
me on my soapbox right – you’re here to read a review on a vehicle.
Well here is the best of both worlds, at least today it is, this
technology is the best application of fuel efficiency and Hybrid technology
partnered to increase MPG and reduce emissions that I’ve seen to date. The 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid employs a
two-mode continuous electric ratio hybrid transmission with 4 fixed gears. What does that mean? Well put simply the 6.0 Liter V-8
Engine (same is in a standard Yukon) brings cylinder-deactivation into the
picture and turns the V-8 into a V-4 when the load on the engine allows it. Supporting the engine is the EVT or
Electrically Variable Transmission.
Two 60 kilowatt motors are packaged into the transmission. The engine, EVT and various other
on-board systems work together and determine the most efficient way to keep you
going down the road. It could be gas
only, electric only or a combination of both depending on how demanding the
right foot is. Energy is also stored
in a battery pack and regenerative braking assists in the creation of that
energy. As an example, when sitting
in stop and go traffic the engine will shut itself off and the vehicle will
propel itself on energy stored in the battery pack, or after idling for a short
time with no load on the engine it will again shut itself off, but, all the
accessories (stereo, navigation, power steering, Etc.) will be unaffected. It’s quite eerie at first if you
don’t know what to expect.
As for driving the truck it’s no different than its Petro only cousin. Get in, turn the key and your off, no
plugging in or special gas stations to seek out.
Horsepower from the V-8 is 332 with an additional 248 kw from the EVT and
torque is rated at 367 lb-ft from the gas engine and 497 Nm from the EVT. Simply put – plenty of grunt to get
this beast, all 5,600 pounds of it going.
This SUV is by no means a slouch in the get up & go category!
Aside from the “Hybrid” banner in the front and rear windows and a couple
of green H’s on the quarter panels there is little to announce that this is a
hybrid. The front end has been
modified to make it more aerodynamic and some of the sheet metal is replaced
with aluminum because the Hybrid system adds about 100 LBS to the Yukon’s heft.
So what does $53,755 buy you?
A Yukon that you can say is fully loaded, because it is! The only options on the Hybrid model
are a sunroof and a DVD entertainment system.
Leather seating, Satellite Radio, back-up camera, Nav System, power
everything, including the side view mirrors (which are also heated) fold in
tight alongside the door at the push of a button, running boards, cruise
control, Bose Stereo, 18 inch Aluminum Wheels, Etc. You can also tell your friends that
you are helping reduce green house gasses and burning less fuel, because you
most likely are, but it will take you a long, long time to see any relief in the
wallet with the close to $8,000 premium placed on the Hybrid versus a similarly
option gas-only Yukon.
Interior styling is bland for my taste but ergonomically well placed
switches and dials made from quality materials make up for it. The steering wheel is right out of
the GM parts bin and could be updated with a more quality material, but this
seems to be a GM trend these days.
The rear most seats do not fold flat into the floor so if you want that space
you need to remove them, and bring a friend – they weigh a ton! Note to GM – there is a great place
to cut a few pounds from the vehicle.
I found the regenerative brakes to lack feel and feedback. They were grabby too, but once you
get accustomed to how they work you won’t notice any difference.
So did I return the type of fuel mileage I had hoped for, the short answer is
no. But that is not to say it isn’t
capable of doing so. I drove this SUV
just over 506 miles in mixed traffic
conditions, on and off the gas, bumper to bumper LA traffic, stop
A
big vehicle this is. If you have a
baseball team to shuffle around a few days a week it will fit that bill and give
you change. Ride, comfort and safety
features are all there and the benefit of saving the planet just a little, in
your own way.
