I just wish the rear seat cushion was updated, too. It's flat, feels thin and doesn't extend far enough to provide the support for my thighs that I like. And I'm 5 feet 4 with short legs.

Rear seatbacks are split into one-third and two-thirds sections that fold down to accommodate long cargo items. Cargo space behind the hybrid Vue's second row seats is 30.8 cubic feet, the same as it is in gas-powered Vues. This is different from other hybrids, where a large battery pack is typically stored by the rear seat and impinges on cargo room. But the battery pack in the Vue Green Line is smaller than that of other hybrids - again because it's not designed to power the vehicle all by itself - so there's no reduction in cargo space. There is, however, a weight gain of more than 120 pounds over a gas-powered, four-cylinder Vue.

No all-wheel-drive
There are several ways that the Vue Green Line is simpler than other hybrids already on sale.

For one thing, the Vue Green Line will be the first hybrid SUV available in front-wheel drive only. Officials said there will be no all-wheel-drive offering, as there are for the three current hybrid SUVs on the market. These are the 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h. The front-drive-only choice may limit the appeal of the Vue hybrid to people who aren't interested in four-wheel traction on their SUVs.

System is less complex
While the Vue Green Line uses an electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery pack to supplement a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine with 170 horsepower, this Vue cannot run beyond a few short seconds solely on electric power.

Typically, this short electric-only operation comes when the Vue is just starting up from a stop and the gasoline engine is just getting started. This electric-only time is limited because the Vue's hybrid system is designed primarily to supplement the gas engine in acceleration maneuvers, say, when the driver wants to pass another vehicle on the highway. The electric power is not meant to provide propulsion on its own. This means that Saturn didn't have to re-engineer the Vue's powertrain.

Instead, the Vue's electric-drive motor is combined with the vehicle's alternator, which is simpler and less complicated than Toyota's use of two electric motors as well as a planetary gear. The Vue's system includes regenerative brakes that recapture energy when a driver is braking. This energy is stored in the battery pack, where it can be retrieved for electric motor uses. And, because the battery pack doesn't need to provide enough power to propel the vehicle all by itself, it's smaller than expected.

As a result, the rectangular pack sits tidily behind the back seat, under the cargo floor, where it does not impinge on storage space, though in the test Vue Green Line the battery pack looked a bit like it was welded into place in a backyard garage.

Ford and Toyota hybrids also pair gas engines to electric motors and battery packs and include regenerative braking. But these SUVs also can travel for somewhat extended periods on electric power, with the gas engine off, thereby offering more opportunities for fuel savings. As an example, a Highlander Hybrid recently tested traveled down a residential street, all on electric power. And it moved from stop to stop in congested traffic, again, all on electric power. (CONTINUE...)