GM to launch new Buick hybrid SUV in 2011
12 Aug 2009|3,652 views
The new compact SUV will slot in beneath the current Enclave in the Buick range, with standard petrol models expected to be launched at the end of 2010. The plug-in hybrid model, which will be based on the now-defunct Saturn Vue hybrid SUV, will arrive in 2011.
"Some customers who have been drawn to the Enclave were looking for something a little smaller, but they didn't want to give up craftsmanship or a quiet ride to get there," said Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. "We believe this new Buick will excite those customers, and will continue to broaden the appeal of the brand."
The base model will utilise the Vue's 2.4 litre Ecotec four-cylinder engine with direct injection, which produces 169bhp. There will also be a 3.0 litre V6 with 255bhp taken from the Buick LaCrosse.
The hybrid version however, will have a 3.6 litre V6 as well as two electric motors, and will run on GM's 2-Mode hybrid system with advanced lithium-ion battery cells and charging technology taken from the Chevrolet Volt electric car.
The 8kwh lithium-ion battery will have half of the energy of the unit in the Volt, which will allow it to be packaged in a rectangular-shaped box under the cargo floor. GM claims that the battery can be fully recharged in four to five hours using a standard 110 volt standard household plug.
Like most hybrids on the market currently, the GM version can use any combination of electric or petrol engine power to move the vehicle, depending on the driving conditions.
The new compact SUV will slot in beneath the current Enclave in the Buick range, with standard petrol models expected to be launched at the end of 2010. The plug-in hybrid model, which will be based on the now-defunct Saturn Vue hybrid SUV, will arrive in 2011.
"Some customers who have been drawn to the Enclave were looking for something a little smaller, but they didn't want to give up craftsmanship or a quiet ride to get there," said Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. "We believe this new Buick will excite those customers, and will continue to broaden the appeal of the brand."
The base model will utilise the Vue's 2.4 litre Ecotec four-cylinder engine with direct injection, which produces 169bhp. There will also be a 3.0 litre V6 with 255bhp taken from the Buick LaCrosse.
The hybrid version however, will have a 3.6 litre V6 as well as two electric motors, and will run on GM's 2-Mode hybrid system with advanced lithium-ion battery cells and charging technology taken from the Chevrolet Volt electric car.
The 8kwh lithium-ion battery will have half of the energy of the unit in the Volt, which will allow it to be packaged in a rectangular-shaped box under the cargo floor. GM claims that the battery can be fully recharged in four to five hours using a standard 110 volt standard household plug.
Like most hybrids on the market currently, the GM version can use any combination of electric or petrol engine power to move the vehicle, depending on the driving conditions.
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