Volvo showcased the XC60, its plug-in hybrid crossover of the future, at the recent Detroit Auto Show. The vehicle got a mixed review from the automotive press. Some dubbed it a “me, too” entry into the market. But most took the crossover for what it really is: A crossover that gives the industry a glimpse into Volvo’s future plans for plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The XC60 Concept offers an energy-efficient 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gas engine paired with an electric motor. The engine delivers 280 hp to the front wheels; the 70 hp motor powers the rear wheels.  Read more...

The wheel of evolution is in a constant spin for the automobile industry. A long time ago, we had wagons, then we had SUVs, later, the CUVs – and now – borrowing genes from a coupe and a crossover, a Cross Coupe is the next big thing. Well, not so much in its literal sense.

The concept of a Cross Coupe was introduced by none other than the Volkswagen Auto at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. They couldn’t have chosen a better time or place. VW Cross Coupe Plug-In Hybrid SUV was one true headline maker for the show. While everyone was extremely impressed by its look, the excitement came accompanied with a bit of confusion. You can’t tell if it’s a downsized CUV or an upsized four door coupe. Speaking in VW language, it is a larger ‘Golf’ but smaller ‘Tiguan’.  Read more...

Audi A2 Concept: A Crossover for the Urban Driver

Audi is using this year’s International Motor Show in Frankfurt to showcase the Audi A2 Concept, a electric crossover for urban driving that the company says will give drivers “a peek into the future of electric mobility.”  Read more...

Is the 2013 JX Crossover Concept Infiniti’s Next Hybrid?

With an expected formal introduction at the LA Auto Show in November, Infiniti took its 2013 JX Crossover Concept out of a spin in early July. And from the reviews, the crossover seems like an ideal candidate to help meets Infiniti’s goal of making hybrids a larger part of its strategy.

Currently, Infiniti only offers the M35h sports sedan as a hybrid. The JX crossover Infiniti teased is believed to have Nissan’s commonly used 3.5-liter VQ V6 engine. But the buzz is that a hybrid version could be on the way after the crossover goes into production next year.  Read more...

There has been great speculation over the last two years about Mitsubishi’s hybrid SUV plans. The prevailing idea has been that the company would leverage the technology in its i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) subcompact concept vehicle to bring a hybrid SUV to market.

Finally, more details are emerging and it seems the most likely outcome is that the company will produce a plug-in hybrid version of its Outlander SUV in 2013. If that’s the case and if the MiEV technology is used, the powertrain of the 2013 Outlander will include a small 1.6 liter gasoline engine and two electric motors. The motors, one for each axle, will provide the bulk of the driving power.  Read more...

Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) used the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to show off a new plug-in SUV and a revamped version of a previously introduced all-electric crossover prototype.

The new plug-in is the BYD S6DM SUV.

The DM in the SUV’s name stands for dual-mode. The vehicle runs primarily on two electric motors and its driving range can be extended using a small gasoline engine. According to Road & Track, the all-wheel drive SUV uses one motor, a 13 hp electric motor, to power the front wheels. And it relies on a larger 100 hp motor for the rear wheels. Power is delivered to the wheels through a twin-clutch, six-speed automatic transmission.  Read more...

General Motors pulled back the curtain on a Chevy Volt SUV at Auto China 2010 (here) this week. The 5 passenger crossover concept is currently known as the Volt MPV5 and measures 7 inches longer and 7 inches wider than the original Volt sedan we’ve been hearing about for many months. It went on display to the news media today, and is generating quite the buzz.  Read more...

Christmas is now less than a week away and our writers are gearing up to begin reporting on the changes you will see in the new 2010 and 2011 hybrid SUV models. With holiday music filling my office, I am staring out the window at more than a foot of snow on the ground – pondering. What would be the one hybrid vehicle I’d like to see announced in the next 12 months? Well, as crazy as it sounds - it would have to be a Toyota Prius SUV or a Prius crossover vehicle.  Read more...

Mitsubishi made some electric noise earlier this year when they started testing their battery powered, zero-emission i-MiEV (electric vehicle) in Tokyo. It was questionable whether this tiny car (scheduled to go on sale in April 2010) would ever get built, but a recent report from Edmunds indicates that all 1,400 i-MiEV’s scheduled for the initial production run have already been presold.  Read more...

It has been several months since we got to tell you about a new hybrid SUV, and even though this one is currently just a concept vehicle, it is still exciting news. If you’ve been following some of the buzz (no pun intended) at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, you know that this year it is all about electric vehicles. In fact, over three dozen plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles are on display at this year’s show.  Read more...