Saving the planet is a good idea, as long as we're willing to make sacrifices or drastically change the way we live. The automobile has been targeted as a polluter, so we must either get rid of it or find new ways to get around without further hurting the environment. Hybrid vehicles are the craze right now, bridging the gap between gas-powered and electric vehicles.
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| This Malibu shares the same virtues as the rest of the model range. |
But hybrids are on another mission, it seems. Hollywood celebrities always buy the latest environmentally-friendly vehicles for driving down to the Oscars; nothing looks socially better than stepping out of a green car before walking down the red carpet. The
Toyota Prius was a hot seller in that regard, although I'm sure these actors also have a Hummer parked in their driveway.Now, GM is entering the hybrid market with a full-fledged attack. On the frontline are the Malibu as well as the
Saturn Vue Green Line and
Aura Green Line , and they're supported by heavy artillery such as the
Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon . Later, the
Cadillac Escalade and GM's full-size pickups will offer hybrid powertrains.
Simpler hybrid system Without reading the brochure or press material on how the Malibu's powetrain works, one would think it's a cheaper setup than what you'll find shoehorned in
hybrid Camrys or Altimas. And, well, that's pretty much what it is; small battery pack, no glitzy LCD screen with system operation diagrams, but a lot a Hybrid badging on the outside.Unlike the Camry, you cannot drive the Malibu on battery power alone. The latter acts as a support to the 2.4-litre engine to lighten the load, thus improving
fuel economy . You can consider it as a mild application of a hybrid setup. It also benefits from a stop/start feature when the car is immobilized at stoplights and such, and the whole kit is mated to a 4-speed automatic.The end result, though, is not exactly impressive; the on-board computer is displaying an average of 8.6 L/100 km, and calculating my consumption the old-fashioned way gave me a result that's a little higher than that.
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| You can consider it as a mild application of a hybrid setup. |