2011 Saturn Vue: GM confirms plug-in crossover is on track

A plug-in electric powertrain once destined for a Saturn crossover will live on at General Motors and will arrive in 2011 in another vehicle.

GM vice chairman and product chief Tom Stephens confirmed to wire service Reuters that the project remains on track.

The automaker was scheduled to bring a plug-in version of the Saturn Vue to market in 2011. But Saturn is now expected to be sold to IndyCar owner and car dealer Roger Penske.

Stephens, however, said that GM will use the technology in one of its surviving brands, meaning that the plug-in configuration will show up in a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle. The GMC Terrain and the Chevy Equinox are likely candidates.

The first plug-ins are expected to be used by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute. The plug-in Vue was expected to get about 35 mpg. It would employ a gasoline-electric powertrain and could be recharged in an electric outlet.

Stephens previously told Automotive News that GM would retain its hybrid technology even as it jettisons brands during restructuring.

By Greg Migliore