New Buick crossover will feature a plug in hybrid system
Newest Buick
Late last week, General Motors offered up a teaser image of a new Buick crossover vehicle that will be introduced as a 2011 model. According to the press release, the as-yet-to-be-named crossover will seat five and will first arrive in 2010 powered by a new family of direct-injected gasoline engines.
One year later, in 2011, a plug-in hybrid version will arrive and it’s expected to be the first commercially available plug-in SUV produced by a major automaker.
“Buick has always been at the forefront of new technology, so it is only fitting that the brand should debut our new plug-in hybrid technology in a beautiful new crossover,” said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman of product development. “This will firmly put Buick, and GM, front and center in the advanced technology game.”
Gasoline version
They new hybrid will be smaller than the current Buick Enclave. According to Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC, “Some customers who have been drawn to the Enclave were looking for something a little smaller. We believe this new Buick will excite those customers, and will continue to broaden the appeal of the brand.”
The first engine to appear in the smaller SUV will be GM’s Ecotec 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine; while an optional 3.0-liter directed-injected V-6 will be available that is expected to deliver 30 plus mpg on the highway.
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Plug-in version
They hybrid version will be powered by a modified version of the General’s current 2-Mode Hybrid system using advanced lithium-ion battery cells and the charging technology that was developed for the Chevrolet Volt.
The 8 kWh battery – containing half the energy of the Volt’s battery pack – can be fully recharged in four to five hours by connecting the vehicle to a conventional 110V household electrical outlet. If early testing is any indication, the Buick SUV should be capable of electric-only propulsion for more than ten miles at low speeds, while over-the-road the vehicle can use any combination of electric or gasoline engine power.
In addition to the battery pack, the hybrid’s powertrain system also includes two electric motors, an electronic control and battery management system, as well as a 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6 flex-fuel engine.
Déjà vu
If this all sounds strangely familiar, it should be remembered that earlier this year, before General Motors had decided to sell off the Saturn division, it was announced that the Saturn Vue 2-mode hybrid would also be available in a plug-in version. And while GM is tight-lipped on whether the new Buick is based on the Vue’s underpinnings (which, itself, is based on the German Opel Antara), chances are good that it is.
Images courtesy of General Motors
Tags: buick, buick enclave, general motors, gm, gmc, hybrid, opel, opel antara, plug in hybrid, pontiac, saturn
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