Infiniti's M35h runs at Britain's Santa Pod Raceway. Image: Infiniti

Mention the phrase “hybrid car” to most enthusiasts, and their eyes glaze over before they nod off to sleep. By definition, hybrid cars contain two propulsion systems, which makes them heavy and overly complex. Worse, most are built simply to get you from point “A” to point “B” using as little fuel as possible, so typical hybrids are slow, lumbering beasts with the acceleration of moped and the handling of an economy car, Carrying a load of bricks on the hood.

Infiniti wants to dispel that myth, so to commemorate the European launch of its M35h hybrid sedan, the automaker brought the car to Britain’s Santa Pod Raceway. There, officials from the Guinness Book of World Records certified the M35h as the “world’s fastest accelerating full hybrid.”

How fast was it? Fast enough to run from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds, on its way to an average quarter mile time of 13.9 seconds, at just over 100 miles per hour. That’s not too shabby, especially when you consider that the M35h gets rated at 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway; in fact, the M35h is quicker than Infiniti’s other six-cylinder M Series sedan, the 3.7-liter M37.

The M35h uses a high-torque electric motor in conjunction with its V-6 engine, so the combined power output is 350 horsepower. Electric motors make maximum torque at zero RPM, while internal combustion engines do not. Marrying the two, if done properly, ensures the best possible performance across all engine speeds. Even though hybrids are heavier than their gasoline-only counterparts, batteries and controller units can be positioned to offset the weight of the engine and transmission.

No one has built a no-compromise, all out hybrid sports car to date, but the Infiniti M35h is a step in the right direction. In fact, the Infiniti may be the first hybrid I’m looking forward to driving, because I’m pretty sure I can improve on that 13.9 time.

Source: Infiniti

Ford's 2011 F-150. Image: Ford Motor Company

In order to compete with the rear-drive hybrid system jointly developed between GM, Daimler-Chrysler and BMW, Ford will partner with rival Toyota to develop a rear-drive hybrid drivetrain that will be shared between both automakers. The goal of the project is to produce a truck and SUV platform that will improve fuel economy without reducing payload or towing capacity. The platform will also go head to head with GM’s Two-Mode hybrid truck platform, currently used on hybrid versions of their full-size pickups and SUVs.

Both automakers are also scrambling for credits available to manufacturers who introduce hybrid vehicles into their lineups. By 2016, automakers must achieve a CAFE rating of 35.5 mpg across all car and light truck vehicle lines, and hybrid credits can be used to offset numbers that would otherwise fall short.

In addition to working together on a rear-drive hybrid system, Ford and Toyota will also partner on basic systems for in-car information technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s unknown if this collaboration will give Toyota access to Ford’s MyFord Touch/Synch telematics system, which is among the most advanced on the market.

Source: Autoweek

Thumbs Up: It doesn’t drive like a hybrid.

Thumbs Down: Extra large SUV, extra large price tag

Buy This Car If: You need a full size SUV and want one as green as possible.

If you’re in the market for a full size SUV with room for eight passengers and four-wheel-drive, there are plenty of options on the market to choose from. As for manufacturers, you have your pick of a fairly broad spectrum, including both domestic and foreign makes in both the luxury and mainstream segments. If you’re looking for a hybrid SUV with the same capabilities, you choices narrow considerably.

In fact, the full-size hybrid SUV range is limited to three vehicles, all of which come from General Motors and are based on the same platform. If you want luxury and don’t care about price, you opt for the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. If you want value, you pick the GMC Yukon Hybrid or the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. In return you get seating for eight adults, available four-wheel-drive, the ability to tow up to 6,000 pounds (6,200 with RWD models) and an impressive fuel economy rating of 20 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. That’s not Prius territory, but it is an improvement on the standard Tahoe’s 15 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

Here’s a word of caution, though: that additional fuel economy comes with a big price tag, and you’ll need to do quite a bit of city driving to justify the cost differential between a standard Tahoe and a Tahoe Hybrid. Comparably equipped, there’s about a $4,000 difference in price between the two. If you drive 12,000 miles in the city annually, the hybrid will use 200 gallons of gas less per year, so a best case projection with gas at $4.00 per gallon has you paying off the Tahoe Hybrid’s additional cost in five years.

For some, the cost is irrelevant and the Tahoe Hybrid is as environmentally responsible as a full size SUV gets. It certainly drives well enough, and the truck’s seamless power will soon have you forgetting that you’re driving a hybrid at all. Indeed, the Tahoe Hybrid is the very first hybrid vehicle I’ve driven that’s virtually transparent to a conventional vehicle behind the wheel, with only the fuel-saving start-stop system reminding me at traffic lights.

From the outside, the Hybrid’s unique wheels and large front airdam are the most visible distinguishing differences between itself and a conventional Tahoe. Look closely, however, and you’ll see the Hybrid logo on the front fenders, as well as on the rear liftgate. I’m sure GM’s stylists and engineers could point out a few more differences or tweaks made to reduce drag, but to the untrained eye the truck looks just like a Tahoe. It’s classic box-on-box styling, served up in an extra large, family-sized portion.

Inside, the Tahoe Hybrid is all about passenger comfort on extended trips. Front seats are comfortable enough for a week-long drive cross country, and they’re heated so you can visit the family in Wisconsin for Christmas in comfort. The seats are clad in thick leather, which seems stout enough to last for decades with a reasonable amount of care. Front storage space abounds, so keeping your stuff at hand on long trips is no problem at all.

Second row seats are equally comfortable and also leather wrapped. They aren’t heated, but passengers won’t complain too much since they have their own climate controls for the rear. The second row gives passengers ample leg room and plenty of head room, which solidifies the Tahoe Hybrid’s role as a classic family road trip hauler.

There’s a third row seat as well, which will fit three kid or two adults in reasonable comfort. Don’t expect leather here, but on the other hand, vinyl is easier to clean and maintain. The third row seat lacks the lateral support of the second row, but even third row occupants get to control their own airflow from the HVAC system. When not needed, the third row seats tumble forward or can be removed entirely for additional cargo space. There is surprisingly little cargo room with the third row seats in place, so if you’re hauling eight passengers don’t plan on hauling much else.

My tester came equipped with GM’s rear-seat DVD system, which comes with wireless headphones and is guaranteed to promote domestic harmony on long road trips. The Sun, Entertainment and Destination package also includes a power sliding sunroof, so front seat passengers can enjoy a view of the sky and the wind in their hair.

Like the exterior, the Tahoe Hybrid’s interior will be familiar to anyone who’s ever driven a GM-built truck. That’s not criticism, that’s praise, and no one will buy a Chevy Tahoe or Tahoe Hybrid just because of the interior style. No one will avoid the trucks because of style either, which is tasteful with intuitive controls. I’d personally prefer an interior treatment other than fake, glossy wood, but the trim does an effective job of breaking up the dash and center console. Besides, aluminum, piano black or carbon fiber would look out of place in a truck.

Under the hood lies a 6.0-liter V-8, equipped with variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management, GM’s term for their cylinder-deactivation technology. There are also two 60-kilowatt electric motors built into the transmission, and combined with the V-8, the drive system produces 332 horsepower and 367 foot pounds of torque. That’s enough to yield admirable acceleration, despite the truck’s 5,835 pound curb weight (roughly 200 pounds more than a standard 4wd Tahoe). The EPA rates the Tahoe Hybrid’s fuel economy at 20 mpg city, 23 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined, and I saw an indicated 20.8 mpg in mostly city driving.

On the road, the Tahoe Hybrid feels like any other full-size SUV. It isn’t nimble, but it is comfortable and confidence-inspiring across a wide range of driving conditions. Despite using regenerative brakes, the pedal feel was quite normal, which is a departure from other hybrids I’ve driven. Although I didn’t take the Tahoe off-roading, the 4WD system includes a 2WD mode, a 4WD High mode and a 4WD Low mode; it also has a “Auto” mode, which (presumably) operates in 2WD until wheel slip is detected, It’s an elegant system that would be ideal for driving through changing road or weather conditions.

The Tahoe came with motor-driven, adjustable pedals to accommodate drivers of all shapes and sizes. That’s a nice touch, but I have to complain about GM’s spacing of the brake and the gas pedal on the Tahoe Hybrid. To apply the brakes, it was necessary for me to come completely off the gas, retract my leg another inch or two and then transition to the oversized brake pedal. I know this is done to mitigate pedal confusion for the minority percentage of drivers who require this, but it makes a vehicle less safe (by increasing reaction time) for those of us who can fully distinguish between gas and brake. At sixty miles per hour, a vehicles is covering 88 feet each second. If this pedal array delays my reaction time by just a quarter of a second, that still translates into a stopping distance some 22 feet longer. To be fair, I’m sure that the majority of drivers won’t even notice the offset between brake and gas, and maybe the current design has been tested and found to reduce pedal confusion in a segment of the population.

My Chevy Tahoe Hybrid tester had a base price of $54,900, including a destination charge of $950. The sole option on my tester was the $1,940 Sun, Entertainment & Destinations Package (Rear Seat Entertainment System, Power Sunroof, Additional 9 Month XM Subscription) for a total sticker price of $56,840. By comparison, a comparably equipped GMC Yukon Hybrid would sticker at $57,310, while the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid would list for $77,635.

Hyundai's Elantra boasts 40 mpg and near-luxury fetaures for less than a Prius.

Call it the devil you know versus the devil you don’t, but new car buyers are giving the nod to compact sedans over hybrid vehicles. In July of 2009, hybrids represented 3.6 percent of new car sales, but in May of 2010, that number fell to just 1.6 percent. Some of the decline stems from short supply of the best selling Toyota Prius hybrid, but even available hybrids from manufacturers such as Ford and Hyundai failed to take up the slack.

Today’s compact sedans often come well equipped with heated leather seats, premium audio systems, navigation and other features not typically associated with “entry level” cars. Many get fuel economy approaching 40 miles per gallon, which makes them nearly as efficient as some hybrid offerings. Most significantly, their conventional drivetrains cost less to produce, meaning that even a well equipped compact sedan typically sells for thousands less than a hybrid would.

It’s too early to call the hybrid segment dead, especially since manufacturers will be launching more hybrid vehicles in the coming years than ever before. It will be interesting to see how the segment bounces back once the Toyota Prius regains general availability; unless sales take a step upward, manufacturers may have a hard time convincing customers that hybrid alternatives are worth the price of admission.

Source: Left Lane News

Ford's C-Max Hybrid. Image: Ford Motor Company

Last December, I speculated that Ford’s upcoming C-Max mini-minivan may be exactly the right vehicle at exactly the right time. After all, it offered the utility of a minivan (OK a minivan in 3/4 scale) with the added benefits of reasonable fuel economy and park-it-anywhere convenience. Turns out that I was wrong, but only partially so: Ford has decided to kill the three-row, seven-passenger C-Max in the U.S. market, at least for the time being. Instead, we’re getting two variants of the two-row C-Max, but here’s where things get interesting.

Both versions of the C-Max will be be hybrids. Ford will offer a conventional parallel hybrid design (called the C-Max Hybrid, of course) and a plug-in hybrid called the C-Max Energi. Like most plug-in hybrids, the Energi will have a limited range and limited speed on battery power alone, but will otherwise function much like a conventional automobile or parallel hybrid.

It’s clear that Ford is looking to pull hybrid buyers out of Toyota showrooms, since the two-row C-Max will be targeted to the same shopper looking for a Toyota Prius. Look for both variants to hit Ford showrooms sometime in 2012, at pricing that should be remarkably similar to equivalent Toyota Prius models.

Source: Ford

The Fisker Karma. Image: Fisker

In the we-saw-this-coming-months-ago department, deliveries of the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid have been delayed for another month. Motor Authority says that initial deliveries of demonstration vehicles and customer cars will begin in July, but didn’t give any indication of quantities. Their source is Roger Ormisher, Fisker’s director of global communications, so even the July timeline may prove to be a bit optimistic.

The Karma has some impressive stats on paper, but missed deadlines and increasing prices have plagued the car from the start. According to Fisker, the Karma will run from zero to sixty in under six seconds and deliver a battery-only range of up to 50 miles. Beyond that, a range-extending generator powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine provides current for the car’s electric motors in a layout similar to the Chevy Volt. Unlike the Volt, the Karma has a top speed of 125 miles per hour and a body shape that’s best described as stunning. Also stunning is the Karma’s price tag, which has gravitated upwards from last year’s projection of $88,000 to a current list price of $95,900. Call me a cynic, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see further delays before we see dealer demo units on these shores.

Source: Motor Authority

Thumbs Up: The most comfortable compact I’ve ever driven

Thumbs Down: Even in Sport mode, the car isn’t sporty

Buy This Car If: you want a premium alternative to the Toyota Prius

Hybrid buyers are a fickle bunch. Toyota seems to sell all the Prius models they can build, yet luxury hybrids like Lexus’ HS 250h sit on dealer lots month after month. When Lexus announced that they were launching the CT 200h in the U.S. market, I’ll admit to scratching my head. If Lexus couldn’t sell the HS 250h, I wondered, what made them think they could move the CT 200h in substantial volumes?

Maybe it’s functionality or maybe it’s price point. Maybe it’s some mysterious karma that the Prius radiates, since the CT 200h is based on sister-company Toyota’s best-selling hybrid. Whatever the reason, the CT 200h is a success, and Lexus appears to have no problem in selling the uber-luxury compact hybrid. After a week behind the wheel of one, I can see how easy it is to surrender to the car’s charms.

Beauty may only be skin deep, but I’ll say this: Lexus is probably selling a fair number of CT 200hs on looks alone. It’s a very good looking car, and the proportions are best described as “just right”. The front end is typical Lexus, but with an aggressively chiseled, particularly sporty fascia. The hood carries lines that flow from the fascia and tie the car’s appearance back to the IS250. The sporty theme is continued with a steeply raked windshield, blacked-out B pillars and roof spoiler. From the side, a character line starts at the bottom of the front fenders and sweeps upward across the doors before blending in with the rear wheel arch. Out back, the chiseled appearance continues, with the rear fascia incorporating what looks to be a diffuser beneath the rear bumper. Even the asymmetrical, multi-spoke 17 inch wheels are distinctive and give the car a certain attitude not normally associated with hybrids. The CT 200h may be about saving the planet, but it certainly looks like a hot hatch from the outside.

Climb inside the CT 200h, and you’ll find yourself looking for reasons to spend time in the car. That’s not to say the hybrid is a driver’s car, but it’s a testament to how inviting the interior is. The front seats are best described as “obscenely comfortable”, and are wrapped in rich white leather with deep side and hip bolstering. They’re not cooled, but they are perforated for better ventilation, and both driver and passenger get dial-adjustable seat heaters. The driver is treated to an inflatable lumbar support cushion that can be raised or lowered for maximum comfort. The front seat passenger goes without, but the seats are comfortable enough that they probably won’t even notice.

The rear seats are nearly as comfortable for two adults shorter than six foot. The CT 200h is a small car with a sweeping roofline, and the price to pay for styling is compromised rear-seat headroom. There’s not a lot of legroom in the rear either, so you really need to examine the rear seat if you routinely haul three or more friends around. Take a look at the lower seat cushion as well; it’s short, which means that rear seat passengers will be fighting over the shotgun seat on long road trips.

Like all hatchbacks, the CT 200h can be configured to accommodate a wide variety of cargo. With the rear seats up, trunk space is surprisingly generous, and a retractable cargo cover keeps your valuables out of sight. The rear seats fold nearly flat, giving you a decent amount of cargo room for hauling your stuff from place to place. The CT 200h is dog-friendly, too, unless your taste in canines runs to giant breeds like Great Danes.

The dash is typical Lexus fare, which is to say that materials, fit and finish and even ease of operation are best-in-class. Navigation, infotainment, system and climate settings can be adjusted via Lexus’ Remote Touch input system, which operates much like a joystick controller. If you prefer to set cabin temps or radio stations the old fashioned way, fear not: the center console features redundant controls for the climate and audio systems. What you won’t find inside the CT 200h is the kind of traditional luxury that buyers associate with Lexus’ larger offerings. There isn’t a scrap of wood used inside the hybrid hatchback, but I say that’s a good thing. The CT 200h is aimed at a younger demographic, one for which burl walnut isn’t a selling feature and therefore doesn’t need to be tacked onto the price.

Instruments on the CT 200h vary with the driving mode selected on the center-console knob. In Normal or Eco mode, the driver gets a large speedometer in the center of the instrument cluster, flanked by a “power gauge” on the left and a fuel gauge and information display on the right. The power gauge doesn’t do much, but it does tell you if you’re charging the battery, operating the car at peak economy or hampering fuel economy with abrupt or prolonged throttle input. Shift the knob to Sport mode, and the instruments are illuminated in red. Better yet, the power gauge is replaced by a more useful conventional tachometer.

The drivetrain of the CT 200h will be intimately familiar to anyone who owns or has driven a Toyota Prius. Both cars get the same 1.8-liter, four cylinder engine and parallel hybrid drive system, good for a combined 134 horsepower. As with the Prius, the only available gearbox is an electronically controlled CVT transmission. That makes adding a Sport mode to the CT 200h more than a little ironic: since the car is heavier than a Prius and doesn’t use the Prius’ low-rolling resistance tires, it’s slower off the line than a Prius. Zero to sixty comes up in just under 10.5 seconds, but in its favor the car does return an EPA estimated 43 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. In a mix of city and highway driving, I saw a combined fuel economy of 41.2 mpg, but I wasn’t exactly trying to squeeze out the best fuel economy behind the wheel.

The CT 200h won’t beat a Prius in a drag race, but the car will make up for it when the road gets twisty. Like all hybrids, the CT 200h feels heavy to me, which hampers road feel and (of course) performance. Lexus is pitching the CT 200h as a sport hybrid, but that’s not the same as a sport sedan or even a hot hatch. Handling is reasonable, with nicely weighted steering, but sudden direction changes remind you that the CT 200h is no lightweight. Most disappointing, perhaps, is the lack of improvement in throttle response or acceleration in Sport mode. In a Honda CR-Z, there’s a significant difference between the Normal mode and the Sport mode, but in the CT 200h this difference is nearly imperceptible. The car uses regenerative braking to charge the batteries, which hampers brake feel for spirited driving and further detracts for the car’s sporting appeal. If you’re shopping the CT 200h because Lexus tells you it’s sporty, you’re likely to be disappointed. If you’re shopping the Lexus CT 200h because you’re looking for a personal luxury compact hybrid, I’m sure the car will meet or exceed your expectations.

My 2011 Lexus CT 200h Premium had a base sticker price of $31,775, including a destination charge of $875. Options on my tester included the $1,100 Premium Audio Package (10 speaker premium audio system, in-dash 6 disc CD changer, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Homelink universal transceiver), the $1,330 Leather Package (leather seating, rain sensing wipers, auto-dimming outside mirrors), the $2,445 Navigation System (HDD navigation system with voice command, backup monitor, XM Traffic, Weather and Stocks), the $75 Cargo Net and the $299 Illuminated Door Sills for a total sticker price of $37,024.

Since there really isn’t any direct competition for CT 200h, it’s probably most fitting to compare it in price to the Toyota Prius, with which it shares a drivetrain. Even a loaded-to-the gills Prius won’t match the CT 200h in style or handling, but an optioned-out Prius Five can very easily match or beat the price of the Lexus. Equipped with all luxury and technology packages, the top of the line Prius Five stickers for $38,047; for that money, make mine the Lexus CT 200h.

Image: Gazoo Racing, via Autoblog

One of my press fleet cars for this week is Lexus’ new CT 200h hybrid. After spending a few days behind the wheel, I understand the car’s popularity. It’s well-appointed, supremely comfortable and not at all a bad choice for urban driving. Despite what Lexus’ ads would have you believe, it’s in no way, shape or form a sports car. Even in “Sport” mode, which calls up a tachometer instead of a power monitor and lights the dash in red, acceleration is best described as “leisurely”. The steering, however, is nicely weighted and the CT 200h is fairly nimble in the twisties. I’d even consider one if I had the type of commute I used to (110 miles a day in rush hour traffic), but I definitely wouldn’t consider building a race car for next year’s One Lap of America from a CT 200h.

That didn’t stop Gazoo Racing from building a CT 200h to run in last weekend’s six hour Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy at Germany’s Nürburgring. Built to compete in the S4 class, the Gazoo Racing CT 200h had a few minor improvements done to make it more competitive: first, the stock car’s 1.8 liter engine was yanked out, replaced by a higher horsepower 2.4 liter variant. The electric motor, controller and batteries were left alone, and the car did indeed run as a parallel hybrid. At start up and under regenerative braking, the car’s engine isn’t used, preserving fuel and reducing overall tailpipe emissions. There’s no word on how the CT 200h did overall, but I promise an update as soon as I can find the results.

Source: Autoblog

Yes, it may be just one of those ridiculously goofy Will Ferrell movies, but if you love stupid humor, it’s a total laugh riot.  Plus, Adam McKay, who directed “Talledega Nights” (another timeless Ferrell flick), is behind the helm of it.

One of the reasons why this movie is so originally epic is that THE true action star is a Prius police car – which gets shot up, doused in cocaine, and serves as the host of a homeless orgy.  If you have a few minutes for a laugh, check out the compilation below of the best Prius clips from the movie:

Source: YouTube

Toyota's Prius v Concept. Image: Toyota

Americans, generally speaking, don’t like hybrids. We ignore them like that day-old plain donut in the break room, which is good enough for consumption only when nothing else is around, or when we’re too frugal to spend money on what we really want. The exception to this rule seems to be Toyota’s Prius hybrid, which has enjoyed a healthy (bordering on rabid) following since the car was launched in 2000. In just eleven years, Toyota has managed to sell 1,000,000 Prius models in the US, and has delivered over 3,000,000 to date worldwide. Since launch, the Prius has consistently been the best-selling hybrid vehicle in the United States, and now accounts for over 60% of hybrid vehicles sold in 2011. The Prius has a brand awareness that other hybrid automakers would kill for.

It’s racked up more than a few awards in the past 11 years, including nine years as “Best Overall Value of the Year” by IntelliChoice, and four years as R.L. Polk’s “Highest Mid-Size Vehicle Owner Loyalty”. Prius drivers tend to hang on to their cars, as over 97% of Prius’ sold in the U.S. are still on the road. More than any other car on the road today, the Prius is responsible for the parallel hybrid revolution currently embraced by thirteen other automakers. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends entirely on your perspective.

Source: Toyota