Byline: John LeBlanc
Publication: Wheels Section - The Toronto Star
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2007
Make no mistake. The world’s first full-size gasoline-electric hybrid sport utility vehicle was designed first and foremost for Americans who can’t kick their large SUV habit.
I say Americans because for every full-size SUV sold in Canada, many more are sold down here south of the 49th parallel.

With the tripling of gas prices, U.S. subprime interest rate crisis, and growing environmental awareness notwithstanding, getting some Yanks out of their large SUVs is like asking them to hand over their firearms, or (worse yet) stop watching the NFL on Sunday afternoons.

For those souls addicted to such vehicles, Chevrolet has the first step to recovery that doesn’t ask you to change your big SUV lifestyle: its new 2008 Tahoe Hybrid.

Using unique two-mode hybrid technology parent General Motors developed with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, compared to a rear-wheel-drive non-hybrid Tahoe, Chevy boasts its hybrid version gets an impressive 40 per cent better fuel economy in the city and 25 per cent better efficiency combined for city/highway.

Transport Canada hasn’t published its estimates yet, but compared with a gas- only model, expect the Tahoe Hybrid’s city rating to drop from 14.7 to 8.8, and its combined numbers to shrink from 12.5 to 9.4 L/100 km.

Here in San Diego at the vehicle’s drive program, I drove more than 100 km in a four-wheel-drive Tahoe Hybrid in both stop-and-go city and freeway traffic, averaging 10.23 L/100 km.

Still reading?

You’ll have to wait until Chevy’s big hybrid SUV goes on sale early next year.
Except for the addition of a standard in-dash backup camera screen and three- row, eight-passenger seating, Chevrolet says its hybrid model is equipped between the mid-range LT and the range-topping non-hybrid LTZ Tahoes.

Canadian pricing has yet to be announced. In the U.S., a RWD Tahoe Hybrid starts at $50,490 (U.S.); about a $10,000 premium over a comparable gas-only version.
Also know that if you’re more of a pickup, GMC or Cadillac kind of buyer, this hybrid system will also be offered in Yukons, Escalades and eventually Chevrolet Silverados.
Chevrolet says it understands the big utility vehicle obsession with existing Tahoe customers takes many forms.

Beyond extra room for luggage or passengers, or the ability to tow a boat trailer to the campsite on the weekends, safety and ride comfort play a huge role in the appeal of these types of vehicles during the Monday-to-Friday school run.

There are some exterior badges and the rocker-panel “H-Y-B-R-I-D” stickers. And the Tahoe Hybrid utilizes specific aerodynamic body tweaks and lightened components throughout the vehicle, such as thinner front seatbacks.

But the exterior changes between the hybrid and non-hybrid Tahoe is like that between M&Ms with or without peanuts - i.e., not much.

Inside, going hybrid doesn’t sacrifice any of the coveted room Tahoe owners appreciate.
There’s an in-dash graphic display that illustrates the energy activity in the hybrid system. In the driver’s instrumentation cluster - either shaming or rewarding one’s driving habits - you’ll find an economy gauge.

The real differences between the fully gas-powered and hybrid model lies underneath the Tahoe’s tweaked sheet metal, where you’ll find the new two-mode gasoline-hybrid system, and specifically, its complex diagnostics.

These bits of soft- and hardware deserve most of the credit for not only the Tahoe’s new-found parsimonious ways, but also for making the hybrid model the quietest, smoothest driving Tahoe yet.

Starting with 332 hp and 367 lb.-ft. of torque from a 6.0 L V8, a 300-volt battery resides underneath the second-row seats that still fold and tumble like those in the non-hybrid Tahoe.

The V8 incorporates a range of fuel-saving technologies, including variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. There’s a second electric system riding on top of the V8 engine that allows for the now classic hybrid tricks of stopping and starting the engine, plus regenerative braking.

The “two” in “two-mode” comes from the dual electric motors that are sandwiched within the transmission.

Instead of the common hybrid use of a continuously variable transmission, GM uses what it calls a “2-Mode continuous electric ratio hybrid transmission” that has four fixed gears. It shuts off the V8 engine when called for and also keeps the engine running at a constant speed to maximize fuel economy.

Toddling along in low-speed traffic under 50 km/h through downtown San Diego’s surf shops and coffee houses, it was easy to get the V8 to shut off and run exclusively on one or both electric motors.

A GM engineer riding shotgun explained that during this type of slow, urban driving, the electric motors operate 75 per cent of the time.

Go faster, and that percentage inverts as the system uses one or both electric motors to provide a power boost when necessary.

If this sounds like a lot of shuffling back and forth between the various bits and pieces, you’re right. It is. I was told at a rate of 50 times per second.

From the driver’s seat, the Tahoe Hybrid system’s transition from gas to electric is the most seamless I’ve experienced in a hybrid.

Chevrolet claims acceleration times between hybrid and non-hybrid Tahoes are within tenths of second of each other.

But the hybrid version is much quieter at full throttle. The electric motors help smooth out an already velvety V8 when you jump on the throttle. And the transmission doesn’t exhibit the unnatural behaviour of a CVT.

A big reason for buying this vehicle is its ability to haul. In that regard, the Tahoe Hybrid excels.

Chevy says it can tow up to 2,812 kg (2WD) and 2,722 kg (4WD) - along with its GM platform mates, obviously the most of any current hybrid vehicles.

Like other supposedly guilt-free lifestyle options - think decaffeinated coffee, low-tar cigarettes, alcohol-free beer - the Tahoe Hybrid offers value without the vice.
Will driving a Tahoe festooned with “H-Y-B-R-I-D” on its flanks prevent your SUV from getting egged at the next Green Peace meeting?

Um, probably not.

For those owners who don’t need all of the Tahoe’s capabilities on a daily basis, the hybrid model isn’t exactly guilt-free SUV driving.

But for those who will go to their grave clutching the steering wheels of their beloved behemoths, the world’s first full-size hybrid SUV may go down in history as the first step on the road to redemption.