Here’s a little-known fact about gas-electric hybrid technology – it’s not new. In fact it’s more than one hundred years old. Way back in 1899, when he was 18 years old, Ferdinand Porsche tinkered with the technology as applied to a four-wheel drive vehicle called the Mixte. Additional experimentation with hybrid powertrains has occurred throughout the past century, but it wasn’t until the skyrocketing of fuel prices, Middle Eastern turmoil, and broadening of environmental consciousness during the past decade that hybrid vehicles gained massive traction with the American public. Of course, hybrids are not the only solution to curbing consumption of fossil fuels, but they are among the most popular and widely accepted alternative powertrains sold today. And while the debate about what the best future technology for clean, efficient transportation rages on, let’s hope it doesn’t take another 100 years to find one that resonates with consumers.
About Vehix Buying Guide and JDPower.com Ratings
Vehix 2010 Hybrid Buying Guides features ratings by JDPower.com. Learn more about the criteria and ratings.
There are seven vehicles highlighted in the 2010 Hybrid Buying Guide. All vehicles are listed in alphabetical order.
You need a vehicle with plenty of room for people and cargo. You need a brawny powerplant to tow a trailer. You need low-range gearing for rocky paths. And you want it to be as fuel efficient and technologically advanced as possible. Even three years ago, you would have been laughed right off the dealer’s lot with those vehicle requirements. But today there’s the GMC Yukon Hybrid (view photos) to meet all your wants and needs.
Available with rear-wheel or four-wheel drive, the 2010 GMC Yukon Hybrid is scooted along by a 6.0-liter V8 engine integrated with a pair of 60-kilowatt electric motors located inside an electrically variable transmission. Combined, they’re good for 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque and a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 lbs. Up to 25 mph, you’re on electric-only mode as long as you’ve got a light foot on the gas. And when cruising along at consistent highway speeds, half of the engine’s cylinders shut down to further increase fuel efficiency. This whiz-bang technology translates to 21 city/22 highway miles per gallon ratings for rear-wheel-drive versions and 20/20 for those with 4WD. And make no mistake about it: the Yukon Hybrid is big, with room for eight passengers and a maximum cargo capacity of 109 cubic feet. No, it’s not the greenest vehicle in the world, but the 2010 Yukon Hybrid is a great alternative for those who want to carry a lot but use a little less.
- No. 1-ranked Large Multi Activity Vehicle in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Initial Quality Survey (IQS)
- 20 city/22 highway fuel economy range
- MSRP: $51,185 - $61,345
Research the 2010 GMC Yukon Hybrid
View the 2010 GMC lineup
