2010 Geneva Motor Show: New Green Production Cars Page 2

By John Voelcker

John Voelcker

Senior Editor BIO

John is Senior Editor for High Gear Media. In addition to news coverage and new car reviews, John creates and oversees all editorial for High Gear's... More

LATEST ARTICLE
2013 Nissan Altima: 31-MPG Combined Rating For Mid-Size Sedan
Today's the day when we can talk about the all-new 2013 Nissan Altima, the latest generation of... Read More

• #4LEADERBOARD RANK
• 2324ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 1030COMMENTS POSTED

3,691 views Mar 2, 2010

Follow John

Add to circle

2011 Porsche Cayenne

2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid

While the first hybrid model of Porsche's entirely redesigned crossover SUV shares a basic architecture with the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, it is far from the top-of-the-line model as the VW hybrid is. For Porsche, that honor goes to twin-turbo V-8 versions.

The 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid model sits just above the base Cayenne, which has a 3.6-liter V-6. The hybrid gets more power (333 hp) out of a smaller 3.0-liter V-6, courtesy of supercharging.

That engine is paired with a 34-kilowatt (47-hp) electric motor that sits between the engine and Porsche's eight-speed automatic. The two power sources generate 427 foot-pounds of torque at a low 1,000 rpm, which should make stoplight drag races fun indeed.

Porsche says its Cayenne S Hybrid accelerates on battery power alone up to 37 mph, though surely not under full throttle. As usual, its electric motor adds torque to the engine's output, with the blend of the two power sources optimized for lowest fuel consumption.

Like the VW, the Porsche hybrid switches off its engine--calling it "sailing"--at speeds up to 97 mph under light loads or when inertia is sufficient to propel the car on downhill roads or during deceleration. Most hybrids use electric power only at low road speeds.

The Cayenne Hybrid is quoted at 28 miles per gallon on the European cycle, though U.S. mileage is likely to be lower. Fuel efficiency is helped by weight savings of almost 400 pounds over the previous Cayenne model.

Toyota Auris Hybrid

Enlarge Photo

2011 Toyota Auris Hybrid

While the Toyota Auris is far from a new car--it replaced the previous model of Toyota Corolla hatchback in Europe back in 2007--the new Auris Hybrid model is significant because it's just gone into production in the U.K.

Sold in Europe and Asia, the Auris hatchback is built on the same compact platform as the 2010 Toyota Corolla. It's Toyota's third-best-selling car in Europe. You can think of it as similar to the now-discontinued 2010 Toyota Matrix five-door in the U.S. [explanation]

Production of the 2011 Toyota Auris Hybrid in Burnaston, England, is another step in Toyota's drive to offer its Hybrid Synergy Drive system on every model it builds, and to localize production. It now builds hybrids in Japan, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and China.

The company says the 2011 Auris Hybrid will use about 20 percent less fuel than the standard version, and emit 17 percent less carbon dioxide. Given U.S. preferences for sedans over hatchbacks, though, we're not likely to see the compact Auris Hybrid here in the States.

2011 Volkswagen Touareg

Enlarge Photo

2012 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

Details on the hybrid version of VW's all-new Touareg crossover SUV were released last week, so we'll just recap those here.

The top-of-the-range hybrid model will use a 328-horsepower, 3.0-liter supercharged direct-injected V-6 engine mated to a 34-kilowatt (46-horsepower) electric motor mounted between the engine and the transmission.

The combined peak power of the engine and motor adds up to 374 horsepower, making it capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds, VW says. The 2012 Touareg Hybrid will do 0 to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds, and it tops out at a maximum speed of 144 miles per hour.

It can run in all-electric mode at speeds as high as 30 miles per hour. And the hybrid system disengages the engine from the transmission both in electric mode and when the driver lets up on the accelerator at speeds up to 100 mph, reducing energy lost to drag.

Our editor Marty Padgett drove a prototype Touareg Hybrid last October.

vw touareg hybrid v6 tsi concept 2009 006

Enlarge Photo