ABG Reviews World First Hybrid With Fender Vents

Hey! What happened to TTAC’s invitation to the GM “Night on Bear Mountain” mass test drive? If it’s good enough for Autoblog and Jalopnik, it’s good enough for us. Of course, TTAC’s not in the tank for GM. We might do something impolite, like point out that the Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid is an excellent example of everything that’s wrong with GM. (And that’s without driving it.) For one thing, product overlap. WITHIN SATURN. The Vue 2 [a kill] is the second hybrid system for the SUV, which will now sell alongside (in theory) the existing Saturn “light hybrid,” which was initially introduced as the Vue Green Line. It’s a model/technological distinction that will be completely lost on anyone even remotely resembling a potential customer. So, blissfully married and entirely hetrosexual Alex Nunez, who’s this thing for, then?

“…drivers who desire fuel economy on par with the four-cylinder hybrid, but want more power and/or towing capacity.” Both of them? Or maybe this excerpt offers us a better idea: “…three hybrid badges (one on each fender and one on the tailgate) and four hybrid decals (one on the windshield, one on the rear window, and the gigunda things that span the wheelbase along the lower door panels). Short of getting a full “HYBRID” bus wrap on the thing, you can’t really announce your greenie status any more unless you head to the Toyota store.”

Rhetorical heights well and truly scaled, Alex’ first drive winds down to the inevitable damp squib: “It does all the hybrid stuff you want/expect it to, and it performs well when called upon.” But, again, what’s the friggin’ point? “One thing’s certain: you’ve got some choices now, which is certainly not a bad thing.” Sigh. Sure. I was wondering when GM was going to offer us a choice of two different hybrid systems for the Saturn Vue. Oh, and Alex: Stendhal Syndrome. [Note to John Neff: where’s the disclaimer? And when you start asking the tough questions of the automakers, we’ll stop asking the tough questions about your coverage.]