I find it hard to put the "fuel-efficient" label on a vehicle like the GMC Yukon just because it offers a hybrid powertrain. After all, this American mastodon, which weighs over two tons, does not really compare to a Prius, a Golf TDI or the upcoming 2010 Insight.
I'm not opposed to big trucks. On the contrary, I believe they meet the needs of farmers and entrepreneurs more than any other type of vehicles. That's why automakers have created the Yukon, Chevy Tahoe/Suburban, Ford Excursion, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Armada and other similar SUVs.
Problem is, these behemoths burn an awful lot of fuel. And anytime I see a little lady on Gucci high heels driving from one shopping mall to the next with one such monster, I give up.
So there I was, spending a week behind the wheel of a 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid, trying to see how much gas I could save thanks to its mixed powertrain.
Efficient... if you really want to!
How can you make this mastodon more reasonable? By fitting GM's two-mode hybrid system. Wait a minute, two modes? That's right: at low speeds and under light loads, the Yukon Hybrid can run solely on either gas or electricity -- or a combination of both. Then, at cruising speeds, like on the highway, the electric motor provides assistance to the combustion engine when need be.
Additionally, the V8 Vortec of the Yukon uses Active Fuel Management (formerly known as Displacement on Demand). At steady speeds, half the cylinders stop operating as long as the driving style and road conditions don't change. This system allows up to 25-percent greater fuel economy.
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| GM system helps the GMC Yukon Hybrid achieve up to 25-percent greater fuel economy. |
I'm not opposed to big trucks. On the contrary, I believe they meet the needs of farmers and entrepreneurs more than any other type of vehicles. That's why automakers have created the Yukon, Chevy Tahoe/Suburban, Ford Excursion, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Armada and other similar SUVs.
Problem is, these behemoths burn an awful lot of fuel. And anytime I see a little lady on Gucci high heels driving from one shopping mall to the next with one such monster, I give up.
So there I was, spending a week behind the wheel of a 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid, trying to see how much gas I could save thanks to its mixed powertrain.
Efficient... if you really want to!
How can you make this mastodon more reasonable? By fitting GM's two-mode hybrid system. Wait a minute, two modes? That's right: at low speeds and under light loads, the Yukon Hybrid can run solely on either gas or electricity -- or a combination of both. Then, at cruising speeds, like on the highway, the electric motor provides assistance to the combustion engine when need be.
Additionally, the V8 Vortec of the Yukon uses Active Fuel Management (formerly known as Displacement on Demand). At steady speeds, half the cylinders stop operating as long as the driving style and road conditions don't change. This system allows up to 25-percent greater fuel economy.
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| The GMC Yukon Hybrid produces 332 horsepower. |