Hybrid hotbod

Muscle & Fitness, Sept, 2007 by Jim Gorzelany

* Coming in as the lowest-priced hybrid car on the road, the Green Line version of Saturn's European-styled Aura sedan remains a responsive--albeit more environmentally friendly--ride. The midsize Aura Green Line combines a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor/generator that provides additional power as needed for open-throttle acceleration. Together they generate the equivalent of a peppy 164 horsepower. Here, however, the electric motor shoulders much less of the load than with typical hybrids--most of the vehicle's fuel savings are realized while the engine shuts down during deceleration and when idling.

While its fuel economy ratings aren't necessarily sky high, the Aura Green Line commands less of a premium than other hybrids because of the relative simplicity of the technology. Still, it boasts 28-city/35-highway mpg vs. 20/30 mpg for the standard Aura with a V6 engine. This accounts for an estimated annual savings of $350 a year at the pump, with 1.5 fewer tons of greenhouse-gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (assuming $2.80 a gallon and 15,000 miles driven).

Priced $1,700 higher than a base model, the Aura Green Line nonetheless qualifies for a federal income-tax credit of $1.300. which means you'll be able to recover much of the added cost when you file your tax return next year.

* MSRP S22,045; (800) 553-600 or saturn.com

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