2012: A year for greener and affordable Hybrid SUV. Our sneek peak into the Hybrid SUV’s for 2012
We are almost at the end of 2011, and we are all hoping to have a great year ahead in 2012. The way we see it, 2012 is going to be a good year for the automotive industry, the environment and us SUV fanatics. Many of the auto manufacturers are all set to make a mark for a greener tomorrow. Automotive manufactures are to release hybrid vehicles in all categories, like the compact, hatchback, luxury sedan and SUV’s. The list of hybrid cars available in the market are to increase drastically in 2012, however we are here to discuss the hybrid SUV’s that are up for debut in 2012. The demand for greener SUV’s has increased year over year, and the demand for them to be affordable has also increased. Keeping the hybrid SUV’s affordable has been the key aspect of automotive manufactures for their line-up in 2012.
Oh boy! We love these SUV’s and we guarantee so will you. The Audi Q5, Ford Escape Plug-In, Hyundai Sante-Fe Blue are the offering for the hybrid world for 2012.
The Audi Q5 Hybrid is the much anticipated release for 2012, and we have reviewed this Hybrid just for you. Audi promises that the Hybrid version of the Q5 will be as quick as the conventional V6 Q5. Under the hood of the hybrid SUV you will see an exotic 2 liter TSFI engine pumping out 208 horsepower. And the 44-hp electric motor is capable of propelling the SUV to speeds up to 62 miles per hour. Audi also claims the electric alone can propel the Q5 to a distance of 1.86 miles, provided you maintain a constant speed of 37 miles per hour. With the combination of the TSFI engine and the electric motor, the Audi Q5 delivers 33.6 miles per gallon combined city/highway.
The exterior design of the 2012 Audi Q5 hybrid remains the same, except the badges that announce the identity that it is a Hybrid. The interiors are also pretty much the same, this time the tachometer is replaced by the power percentage display. The hybrid-electric graphic display in the instrument cluster is catchy and the display shows the energy (electric/fuel) that is being used to propel your Audi. The 72-cell lithium ion battery sits in the rear under the cargo floor. Impressively the battery only weighs 83 pounds and barley makes a difference to the cargo space. The battery is generally cooled by the air in the cabin, but if the battery heat increases a separate refrigerant linked to the air-conditioner system kicks in and cools the battery.
Audi says that Q5 hybrid is capable of achieving a drive range of 600 miles per tank and this is a significant rise in the drive range per tank for the Q5. The price tag on the Audi Q5 Hybrid ranges from $48,000 to $50,000.
The other hybrid SUV that seems to make news is the Ford Escape Plug-In. This was the same SUV that president Obama used as the main prop for the photo op. The Ford Escape Plug-in is all ready to for its debut in 2012. The Escape can travel up to 35 miles using little or no gas at all and that is, if driven in town and if the batteries are charged for six to eight hours. Ford also says that the SUV can be charged using common household electricity. After running on the electric motor for close to 35 miles, the SUV automatically starts to act like a conventional Hybrid Escape. Apparently the Ford Escape Plug-In is the most fuel efficient SUV. SUVs are usually about the heavy metal engine under the hood, but with the Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid it is all about the battery that it packs. Ford has carefully designed and integrated the battery to its Escape Hybrid.
The Escape hybrid is quite different from the other Hybrid cars or SUV’s. The Escape uses a 10- kilowatt lithium ion battery pack and this can blend the gasoline and electricity to power the wheels depending on the drivers need. The Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid in currently under extensive testing and development, due to which we were not able to get you the in-depth details of the SUV. Once we get a chance to review the Escape in detail, you will get to read it immediately.
Let us now look at the SUV that has been a constant seller and is now ready for makeover to compete in the Hybrid race. Yes we are talking about the Hyundai Sante-Fe. The hybrid version of the Sante-Fe is known as the Sante-Fe Blue Hybrid. This SUV was initially to be launched in 2011, but now the speculation is that it would be out in 2012. Hyundai is the new boy in the race. However, they assure to be on the top of the line in hybrid driver vehicles soon. The Sante-Fe Blue Hybrid includes a parallel drive system that is unique to Hyundai. The engine would be a 2.4 liter, four cylinder engine with a six speed transmission and a 30Kw electric motor is added to help the hybrid job get done. Since Hyundai entered late into the completion of hybrid vehicles, they took their time to see what customers had to say. Hyundai has taken the customer complaints into mind and assure us that their designs would set a whole new standard and foundation for future hybrids. The Sante-Fe Blue will have lower friction rate for the driveline and the cooling components. The software developed to control the engine also added the feature of shutting down the engine when the SUV is in idling. By just depressing the accelerator the engine propels the SUV without delay or hesitation. There are few more details that Hyundai has added on the Sante-Fe and might be, this will put them right ahead in the Hybrid SUV game.
The projected fuel economy is an impressive 52/45 miles per gallon and this is very close to the millage of the Toyota Prius. Let us assure you that no other Hybrid SUV has ever come that close to the performance of the Prius.
If you are planning to buy a Hybrid SUV, we suggest you wait for the releases of 2012 before you make a choice. In the meantime we suggest you enjoy the upcoming holiday season and plan your purchase very carefully considering your budget and requirement.
Keep reading our blogs for updates on the Hybrid SUV’s for 2012.