Along with the redesigned Vue, Saturn launched the hybrid Vue Hybrid for the 2008 model year. When GM announced pricing in 2007, it said the crossover was the least expensive hybrid crossover on the market at $24,795.

When it debuted in the 2007 lineup, the first-generation Vue hybrid was the first vehicle to use GM's new affordable hybrid powertrain. The new Hybrid edition -- based on the second-generation Vue -- continues in its predecessor's footsteps. (The new Vue is based on the Opel Antara sold in Europe.)

The hybrid system in the Vue combines sophisticated controls with an electric motor/generator mated to a 2.4L four-cylinder engine and a modified four-speed automatic transmission. The system saves fuel by: providing an electric power assist during acceleration, shutting off the engine at idle and while coasting, early fuel cut-off during deceleration, and capturing electrical energy through regenerative braking.

The Vue Hybrid's current belt-alternator-starter system - combined with a 2.4 liter 172 horsepower four-cylinder engine - returns 25/32 mpg city/highway under the new 2008 EPA test procedures. The Vue Hybrid actually improved fuel mileage slightly over the previous model, bucking the trend of most hybrids losing about 20 percent economy under the new standards. The Vue Hybrid also offers an impressive range of 585 highway miles.

GM has committed to producing a plug-in version of the Vue Hybrid, which the automaker says will double fuel economy. No date has been set for the introduction of the plug-in hybrid, but it is a top priority for the company.

Production takes place in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, where the Chevrolet HHR is produced.