I had heard that the 2008 Vue would be dual mode. Is that now scheduled for 2009?

 

The Dual Mode Saturn Vue Hybrid had two release dates when I talked to the head of production at the Detroit Auto Show last January. They had what he called an overly optimistic release date of November of this year, which if they could get the production queue and the resources necessary would be reached. The idea was that if the Tahoe Hybrid and the others got a March release, it would see a November one. As we know, the Tahoe Hybrid isn't out until just now, where it's trickling out, so there was obviously the slowdown the head of production had figured there would be. They, like everyone else, seemed to be having a quantity production issue, and hadn't finalized some details when I talked to them.

The Vue Dual-Mode Hybrid, if it's still on the less optimistic production line, will probably be released next summer sometime.

 

The dual-mode VUE and the plug-in VUE will both debut at NAIAS (1/13/08).

edit: The Fusion Hybrid will be there, too, which apparently uses a newer, better hybrid system with more domestic-sourced components (compared to the FEH's).

 

Chatting online with Saturn.com, and exchanging Emails with Saturn, the 2009 dual mode Vue is scheduled to arrive in late 2008. Talking with my local dealer, the dual mode Vue was originally supposed to arrive be a 2008 model. I don't get a warm fuzzy that a dual mode Vue will arrive in late 2008, although perhaps with the 2009 model.