2009 GMC Yukon hybrid
By René Gervais
Superb comfort
With my misgivings about its city smarts, decide to expand my test with a 1000km of highway to see how this beautiful truck would handle the road. I was much impressed once again by the 10.3 litres per 100km and the soft ride it provides. The seats are fine, the suspension delivers comfort for front and rear passengers. Passengers will delight themselves watching the high quality DVD system. While talking about gadgets, I have driven vehicles with rear-mounted cameras prior but this one’s image quality surprises. Occasionally, mediocre quality images make for no shows at popcorn time but this Yukon’s camera does a great job- the vehicle’s size making this almost a necessity.
The interior deserves praise. You can feel the quality of the materials and GM spared no detail though I did find certain ventilation controls difficult to activate, given their small size. Consequently, one should adjust eyewear just to handle these vent controls.
So, how is this version different?
What characterises the Yukon hybrid 2 modeTM comes from these two different settings which permit optimisation of the vehicle in the city and on the road. This technology results from the partnership with BMW and Chrysler. In the city, the vehicle has three different configurations: the electric motor, the gas only engine and the joined two. On the road, the 8 cylinder leads (6.0 litres of 332hp and 367 lb ft of torque) but the electric engine ( 81 hp and 184 lb-pi of torque) come to the rescue, if need be. Note the engine has automatic cylinder deactivation that allows running on four cylinders if possible. An electric module decides which of the two modes works at a precise moment and, contrary to the continuously variable transmission, the Yukon carries no driving belt, thus permitting the optimisation of the transmission configuration without a speed change. Apart from these rather complex changes, you’ll notice these differences between the hybrid and standard model: the standard the front grille differs to bring more air to the electrical components, plus a skirt under the shock ups the aero dynamism. Though you may pay little attention to your surroundings, the huge spelling of ‘Hybrid ’dotting the body and the windows will surely catch your eye. At first, I mistook it for a specially marked vehicle because it carried members of the press but no, it also plastered the body and windows. I soon realized that it was part of the Hybrid’s look. I mustn’t forget to mention the substantial efforts made to reduce the weight, namely the new aluminum hood.
Conclusion
To buy or not to buy? First, you must have the means because not everyone has $70,000 or more. On the other hand, the gasoline engine Yukon similarly equipped, costs about $63,000 and the savings on fuel could be %25 to %30, so one might entertain the idea of purchasing the new Yukon hybrid. I, in any case, found it to be the most impressive hybrid to date. |
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