A $7,000 discount on a new hybrid vehicle is unheard of, but that’s essentially what you can get if you buy a 2009 Saturn Vue hybrid SUV before January 4, 2010. General Motors announced what could be considered the best hybrid SUV sale of the year (or decade) in an effort to more quickly reduce their dealers’ Saturn and Pontiac inventory.

The Saturn and Pontiac fire sale isn’t exclusive to hybrids or SUVs, but for a large number of our readers - that’s where your interest lies (try here for information on the hybrid Saturn Aura). You might recall that the 2009 Saturn Vue was supposed to be equipped with the well publicized two-mode hybrid system, similar to what you currently find in the hybrid Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade and other hybrids from BMW and Mercedes Benz. That all changed when GM restructured to focus on only four major brands, Saturn no longer being one of them.

The mild hybrid Vue (formally known as the Green Line) is a front wheel drive model with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine. It is rated at 25 mpg (city) and 32 mpg (highway) which is about 25% better than the non-hybrid Vue. In case you are wondering, the hybrid version is not available in AWD.

Technically speaking the $7,000 discount buys you a used SUV rather than a new one, since dealers have to buy these vehicles from GM and then move them to service or rental fleet status. Even so, if you can find one (they won’t last long) it is like getting the hybrid technology for free, and then some. I stopped by SaturnOfDesMoines.com yesterday afternoon and they had only 5 hybrid Vue’s on the lot. Sticker price averaged around $30,000 but with the discount you’d pay closer to $23,000.

Obviously there are risks when you buy any vehicle (or brand) that won’t be around much longer, although you won’t likely hear that from GM or your dealer. In either case, if you are planning to take advantage of this hybrid SUV sale you need to move quickly. I’m guessing in a few days there won’t be any left, especially if General Motors extends this $7,000 incentive beyond 01/04/10.