Making Big Power from Efficient Vehicles

Making Big Power from Efficient Vehicles

The recent surge in popularity for fuel efficient vehicles, such as the Honda Insight or the Toyota Prius, has helped create and shape an entirely new and bustling industry. As the price of a barrel of oil soars, North American consumers are beginning to move away from bigger and more powerful vehicles and the trend is starting to lean towards efficient, capable, and economical automobiles.

This is evident by the massive effort of all the major automakers, including names typically associated with big block V8s and high horsepower ratings, to create vehicles that showcase the efficiency and can still be exciting and fun to drive.

Making Life Power

Saturn has recently introduced the Vue Green Line, which is a more fuel efficient and, surprisingly, more powerful version of the popular mini-SUV. The standard Vue makes around 150 horsepower whereas the Vue Green Line produces over 170 horsepower and achieves fuel economy ratings that hover just over 30 miles per gallon.

The reality is that the market is no longer starved for fuel efficient commuters that transform into fun-to-drive weekend rides. The Vue Green Line offers the utility of a SUV, yet the fuel economy of a compact car. For a SUV, the Saturn VUE marks a historic landmark.

With the introduction of vehicles like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Honda Civic Hybrid, the hybrid auto market is once again revolutionized. These vehicles offer little driving experience that differs from the conventional gasoline engines and at the same time accomplish over thirty percent more mileage on the same amount of fuel.

Making Big Power… Period

So far, the big news has been on the hyper efficient vehicles and their respective fuel economy, yet companies like Lexus have been developing their own hybrids, quietly enjoying the lapse in press long enough to pump out vehicles that are exciting, and a blast to drive.

The Lexus LS 450h is a prime example of a hybrid that anyone would love to own. The 450h produces 430 horsepower and accelerates in the realm of some of the fastest sports cars on the planet. It packs the punch of a V12 and the fuel economy of a modern and efficient V6.

So the world has come to realize that hybrid vehicles aren’t just super efficient and that they aren’t resigned to the world of gas sippers and techno-crunchers. Hybrid vehicles, whether you choose to adopt them early or not, are an unavoidable reality. Open your arms, because they’re here to stay.