There’s little doubt that the gas crisis of 2008 -- which saw $5 per gallon prices at some pumps -- made most motorists think twice about America’s favorite mode of transport. Small cars were chic overnight, while lumbering SUVs sat unloved. That was then. Today, that panicked whiplash reaction has been overtaken by an attitude of compromise, one that’s resulted in the rapid expansion of perhaps the hottest automotive segment around: the hybrid SUV.
Buyers clearly still want storage lockers on wheels, but only if they sip precious fuel. As a result, the gas-electric options run the gamut from the modest Ford Escape to the monstrous Chevy Tahoe, with new automakers regularly joining this popular party. Who ever thought Porsche would offer a hybrid truck? Then again, who ever thought Porsche would make a truck, period. But these are strange break-the-rules times in the auto world, with shoppers calling the tune.
Toyota was one of the first manufacturers to feel the coming winds. Way back in 2001, the Japanese automaker bowed with the Highlander Hybrid, offering an option to Prius fans saddled with carpool duties and equipment-hauling needs. A decade later, the Highlander Hybrid carries on, after a considerable redesign a few years ago that gave the truck a larger feel inside and out. The $35,000 (base price) vehicle offers third-row seating, a 270-hp V6 and around 26 mpg combined, a figure more typical of a light sedan or coupe. One can only imagine that the Highlander’s larger people-and-things movers, the Sequoia and the venerable Land Cruiser, will only win more admirers once they benefit from the company’s Hybrid Synergy Drive.
But where Toyota led (its upmarket Lexus RX 450h is a top-seller in this category), many others have followed. This crowded market now includes Ford’s popular Highlander rival, the Escape Hybrid, and the similarly sized Mazda Tribute Hybrid, both of which can deliver nearly 30 mpg in the city for around $30,000.
2011 Porsche Caynenne S Hybrid
2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid
Anyone in need of more packing space (taking the kids’ friends camping?) has a breadth of options, though in most cases that requires a leap to the $50,000 mark. GMC’s Yukon Hybrid (similar to Chevrolet’s Tahoe Hybrid) features dual-mode technology that toggles between a 6-liter V8 (which can deactivate half its cylinders for better fuel economy) and twin electric motors. Mileage for this beast -- it boasts 330 hp and can tow up to 6,000 pounds -- is an impressive 22 mpg city, around double what gas-powered vehicles with these specs deliver.
And if luxury is your prime directive (after good mileage), the hot tickets are branded with either a three-pointed star or a glittering crest. Mercedes-Benz’s ML 450 Hybrid has a V6 mated to two electric motors and delivers around 24 mpg highway, a 20 percent improvement over the standard ML without skimping on any of the usual Mercedes nicities.
Porsche didn’t want to miss out on this party; 2011 brings the new Cayenne Hybrid, showcasing a supercharged V6 that delivers 28 mpg. It may be the first proletarian vehicle from Zuffenhausen so equipped, but clearly the company has great plans for eco-leaning powerplants. In January, Porsche wowed Detroit Auto Show crowds by introducing the sinister-looking 918 RSR, which packs the successful engine from the 911 GT3 R Hybrid in a body that screams LeMans winner. Hybrid may mean planet-friendly, but, as SUV-makers are fast finding out, it can also mean cool.
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