GM: Saturn Aura available as hybrid

Also the American car makers are waking up and bring hybrid models to the market.

GM is unveiling its new 2007 Saturn Aura. It is a mid-size sedan that will be available as a "Green Line" hybrid model later in 2006. The hybrid technology used will not be the "full" hybrid used by Toyota and Ford, nor the "assist" hybrid used by Honda; rather, it will be more similar to the "micro" or "mild" hybrid system found in the GM Silverado pickup truck.
Basically, the car will be fitted with a bigger starter electric motor and a 36-Volt NiMH battery. This will allow it to stop the engine when the vehicle stops moving, and to restart it immediately when the driver removes his/her foot from the brake pedal (a system similar to what can be found in the Citroën C2 Stop & Start, among others). Regenerative braking will help recharge the batteries. Also, and that's the main difference with most "Belt Alternator Starter system", the electric starter motor will be able to "provide a small degree of traction assistance".

"This assistance takes three forms: electrically motored creep at startup, light power assist during acceleration, and light electric mode during deceleration.

The gasoline engine of the GM Saturn Aura hybrid will be a 2.4-liter Ecotec instead of the 3.6L DOHC V6 that will be found in the regular version of the car.

GM is using the BAS-based Greenline hybrid system to try to deliver a simple hybrid architecture flexible enough—and at a sufficiently low cost—to implement globally on a broad spectrum of both powertrains and vehicles."

GM has not yet announced performance or fuel economy numbers for the Saturn Aura Greenline Hybrid sedan, but that should come soon as the car is supposed to be on sale by the end of 2006.

Related news: Foursprung, P4MR, GM, Saturn, hybrids

Source: Treehugger

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