GMC Yukon Hybrid
Casey Williams, www.car-data.com
Imagine a Toyota Prius crawling over rocks and slogging through mud. A friend owns one, butadmitted he drove his Toyota Tundra 4×4 to work when 12′ of snow fell. I said, ‘A real man wouldhave driven his Prius.’ To which he replied, ‘I tried, but couldn’t get it out of the driveway.’ AGMC Yukon Hybrid would have made it just fine ‘ without the need for a Tundra-in-reserve.
Like every other GMC Yukon, the Hybrid is large, comfortable, trailer-ready, and loaded to theroofline with a full entourage of luxuries. As a 4×4, it can do almost anything its full-gasolinedbrethren can do. It just does it with much less fuel running through its injectors. In fact, itsin-town fuel economy is comparable to a Toyota Camry!
Few things would clue you into its electrified underpinnings from the exterior. Yukon Hybridshave a front facia that more closely hugs the ground for airflow, lighter alloy wheels, re-shapedrear window, and low-resistance tires. To get the most out of every gallon of gas, the exterior wasrefined to eliminate drag and friction wherever possible. HYBRID graphics on the lower bodysides,as well as GM’s ‘green H’ logos, remove any doubt that this is no typical Yukon.
From inside, you would be challenged to tell the difference. Heated leather seats, woodgraindash panels, XM Satellite Radio, Bose audio, and automatic climate control are all available forthe asking. Power-adjustable pedals, navigation, and fold down rear seats provide comfort andconvenience. Select the $1,295 rear seat entertainment system and climate control knobs to keep thekids happy.
Suspension and steering feel tighter, and acceleration is more effortless with high electrictorque off the line and a variable-displacement 6.0-litre V8 pumping out 332-HP at speed. Anelectrically-variable transmission, with four fixed gears, has two modes for optimizing fueleconomy or for towing up to 6,200 lbs. During low speed driving, the battery pack pitches in tosave fuel while regenerative brakes replenish energy while decelerating. As a result of all thissophistication, two-wheel-drive models achieve 21/22-MPG city/hwy while our 4×4 test model posts20/20-MPG.
A full-size SUV that can carry seven passengers while towing a boat will never challenge aToyota Prius for fuel economy honors, but a Prius can’t even get out of its own driveway when deepsnow falls. Real men drive GMC Yukon Hybrids.
