The days of the jacked-up, bare-bones workhorse SUV are over. Now that sales of sport utes routinely supersede those mid-sized family sedans, luxury auto makers are previewing handsome new activity vehicles that can literally do it all: carry your stuff, accelerate like a sports car, get up a snowy hill, drive off-road and step out in style.
And deliver decent fuel economy.
Different manufacturers are taking different tactics. Mercedes-Benz just revealed a gasoline/plug-in electric hybrid of its popular GLE (formerly ML) at the New York International Auto Show, but has decided to stick with diesel power for meeting its Canadian efficiency needs. Audi unveiled a novel diesel/electric plug-in hybrid version of its Q7 last month in Geneva, but hasn't specified whether it will be coming to North America.
With downsized, yet potent, turbo- and/or super-charged engines, and plug-in hybrid gas/electric powertrains, the trio of vehicles presented here is capable of providing enhanced efficiency, and driving silently and emissions-free on battery-derived electric power. And they're all coming to Canadian dealerships this year.
"Every kind of SUV is selling well right now, and luxury customers are less price sensitive than mainstream brands," says Karl Brauer, senior analyst for automotive resource Kelley Blue Book (KBB). "This makes luxury SUVs an excellent segment for plug-in hybrid variants. The technology raises the SUV's price, but it's less of an issue for these buyers, and many of them like the concept of balancing their SUV choice with a nod toward environmental consciousness. The vehicles' large size also allows for plenty of space to add the battery pack and electric drivetrain."
Just when you thought the SUV was heading toward the end of its life cycle, it turns out that it may be the only vehicle you need.
The Speedster: 2016 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid
Base price: $87,000
With the release of this new vehicle, Porsche claims to be the only manufacturer in the world to offer a trio of plug-in hybrids (of course, this requires counting its $1-million 918 Spyder hyper-car). Combining a supercharged V-6 with an electric motor, it is capable of hitting 100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds and reaching a top speed of 243 km/h. This means that the Hybrid Cayenne nearly matches the sporty performance of its non-hybrid Porsche siblings, while exceeding them significantly in overall fuel economy, with the ability to traverse 100 km on just 10.6 litres of fuel. Sporting acid-green brake calipers, for “green” street cred, it’s also capable of driving about 22 km on electric-only power. On sale now, it slots into the lineup at $87,000.
The Luxury Liner: 2016 Volvo XC90 T8
Base price: $75,000 (est.)
The Volvo XC90 T8 is the only one of our trio to be designed from the ground up as a plug-in hybrid, which means that instead of adding its supplemental battery pack after the fact, in the capacity-hogging floor of the rear cargo hold, it is placed instead in the tunnel between the seats, giving it the same storage volume as its non-hybrid sibling. This also allows it to obtain the mantle of being the world’s only seven-passenger plug-in hybrid SUV. And with its reserved, and luxurious Scandinavian design, it has classic good looks to boot. Powered by a
turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine that motivates the front wheels, and an electric motor that moves the rears, it will be available in Canada at the end of 2015 for about $75,000. While it approaches the Porsche in acceleration (0-100 km/h in 6.0 seconds), it bests it in fuel economy (estimated at 3.9 litres/100 km) and electric range (40 km).
The All Arounder: 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e
Base price: $70,000 (est.)
Arriving in showrooms this fall, BMW’s latest SUV builds on the years of engineering experience the Bavarians have developed for their electric-powered i sub-brand. To this end, it takes BMW’s award-winning turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and mates it to an electric motor. Like the Porsche, it has two rows of seats, and a similar electric-only range of 21 km, and since it has less power than either of the other vehicles here it will accelerate to 100 km/h a bit slower at 6.5 seconds. But it should beat the Cayenne in fuel economy with consumption of approximately 4.3 litres/100 km. Like all BMW X models, it is also going to be produced at BMW’s expanded plant in Spartanburg, S.C.
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