SUV Buyer's Guide

New Hybrid SUVs

by JIM GORZELANY, ForbesAutos.com

SUV Buyer's Guide

Hottest SUVs of 2008

New Conventional SUVs
New Hybrid SUVs

Finding Your Ideal SUV

Specify Your Needs

      Car-Based or Truck-Based?
      Size Matters
      Do You Need Four-Wheel Drive?
      Off-Road Considerations

Hottest SUVs for 2007

Are SUVs Safe?

Gas Guzzlers Go Green

Mad Mods

History of the SUV

Glossary

A fleet of full-size gas/electric hybrid-powered SUVs will be bringing the latest fuel-saving technology to what are among the worst gas-guzzlers on the road.

This winter, the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid will be hitting dealer’s showrooms, followed by hybrid versions of the Chrysler Aspen, Dodge Durango and Cadillac Escalade next year. All are based on so-called “two mode” hybrid technology that General Motors and Chrysler developed jointly with BMW.

Because they’ll have large battery packs, powerful electric motors and the ability to run on electricity alone at lower speeds, they should get 25 percent to 30 percent fuel economy savings in combined city/highway driving. This is particularly significant when considering that these new hybrids will retain much of the rugged towing and hauling abilities of their non-hybrid counterparts.

Other high-end hybrid SUVs will follow in a year or two, including those based on the BMW X6 and Porsche Cayenne.

While GM’s big hybrids are being presented with real fanfare, one new hybrid SUV is flying so low under the radar as not to be noticed. Mazda is conducting what amounts to a one-year test-marketing campaign for the new Tribute Hybrid, which is its version of the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid.

Mazda will sell about 350 Tribute Hybrids for 2008 only in California through select dealers. “We’ll reevaluate the vehicle's acceptance and make a decision on what to do next year,” says Jeremy Barnes, Mazda North America’s director of product and corporate affairs. “This is our first experience with a hybrid, so we want to approach the distribution numbers cautiously.”

As is the case with cars, hybrid technology adds significantly to an SUV’s sticker price — the Tahoe will start at just over $50,000, though GM isn’t saying what percentage of the cost is vested in the gas/electric powertrain. As such GM expects to sell only about 5-10 percent of its full-size models in hybrid form, according to Mark LaNeve, the company's sales and marketing chief.

Some feel the promotional benefits of offering big hybrid trucks outweigh any short-term profit potential (or lack thereof) for Chrysler and GM. “It’s more about the halo effect of selling a big hybrid than it is about selling a big hybrid,” R.L. Polk’s Lonnie Miller says.

Below is a list of all of the new or significantly redesigned hybrid SUVs debuting in calendar year 2008.