Hybrid Cars 2012
One of the latest developments in automobile technology are hybrid vehicles. Today, you will find many hybrid cars and SUVs in the automobile market. These are the best fuel-efficient vehicles running on roads, without compromising on engine power and comfort of travelers. These machines run on a system which employs the functioning of both an internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor.
This year, the original giant Toyota Prius will face competition from the new and improved Honda Civic Hybrid. Kia Optima hybrid has also found a place in the hybrid market with all the features that makes the competition tougher.
Top Ten Hybrids of 2012
Ford Fusion HybridThe latest product of Ford to enter the hybrid market is Ford fusion hybrid, priced at $28600 with a fuel efficiency of 41 city /36 highway/ 39 combined. The car is loaded with features like advanced voice activation, energy flow display, regenerative breaking and high-end seats that are made from 85% post industrial waste. Ford fusion hybrid gives the driver the choice of four engines namely manual or transmission, gas or hybrid and front or all wheel drive. The four-cylinder 2.5 liter engine with the horsepower of 156 hp has an electric motor running at 40 hp. It is equipped with 16 cubic feet storage space but the batteries are stored in this space itself, reducing the space to some extent. A rear view camera with the output displayed on the rear view mirror or in the navigational device, increases its safety quotient.
Toyota Prius Plug-in HybridPrius plug-in hybrid, priced at $32000, has a fuel efficiency of 51 city/49 highway/50 combined. It comes with a special plug-in for charging at the standard wall mounts in about three hours. This enables the car to be charged at home. The Electric driving capability of the car makes it standout from the other versions of Prius and makes it useful for shorter trips. Apart from small changes in the car, it is pretty much the same as the regular Prius in terms of its features. The Prius hybrid can drive up to 13 miles in the electric mode, when it is fully charged. The 98 hp engine with 1.8 liter four cylinders combined with the gas engine gives an output of 134 hp. The cargo space is 16 cubic feet and with the rear seats folding flat, the entire space can be fully utilized.
Chevy VoltChevrolet's latest entrant, Chevy volt has a fuel economy of 35 city/40 highway and is priced at $40,280. It comes with an advanced feature of remotely monitoring the charging of the car along with text and mail alerts for fully charged condition. Apart from these, it provides an option of three driving modes, namely - normal, mountain and sport. The sport mode gives the maximum fuel efficiency. Consumer reviews shows that the car can be driven up to 45 miles in a single charge, however, the standard mentioned by the manufacturer is 40 miles in a fully charged condition after which the 1.4 liter engines takes control and adds to the output of 150 hp.
Hyundai Sonata HybridThis mini hybrid sedan from Hyundai, priced at $25,795, has a fuel economy of 35 city/40 highway. At the end of 2011, Sonata hybrid ranked second in United States. Lithium Polymer batteries used in the car makes the car cheaper. The car has a power train that is specially designed for highway driving. The electric plus the gas combined output adds up to 209 hp with a 2.4 liter engine adding 166 hp output. Unlike the normal CVT transmission, the Sonata hybrid uses the conventional six speed automatic type of transmission. The Blue mode that the car operates in, increases the engine noise to some extent when compared to the normal driving mode.
Toyota Camry LThe improved Camry comes in two high-end models: L and LE with a fuel economy of 25 city/35 highway. With advanced features like 10 airbags and blind spot detector, this mid-sized hybrid is priced at $22055. It received four stars for most of the tests conducted at the government testing center for safety. It comes equipped with the Entune feature that has a lot of mobile applications and data services. It comes with a 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine that adds the total combined output to 200 hp. It has an improved regenerative braking system that adds extra energy to the electrical power. It comes equipped with 13.1 cubic feet storage truck.
Kia Optima HybridThe first of its kind from the manufacturer, Kia Optima has a fuel economy of 35 city/40 highway. The best feature the car has, is the absence of any plug-in charging. Instead, it uses the energy generated during the regenerative braking for charging the battery. Also, the hybrid is decently priced at $25700, making it a tough competitor. It has 2.4 liter, four-cylinder engine which gives the combined output of 206 hp that includes 40 hp coming from the electric motor. It has some special features like rear view camera and cloth upholstery. The hybrid uses the conventional six speed automatic type of transmission system. For the safety test conducted by government, it scored an overall five. The 9.9 cubic feet storage truck is equipped with the batteries.
Honda Civic HybridPacked with Lithium ion batteries, this hybrid gives a fuel economy of 44 city/44 highway and is priced at $24,200. The introduction of Intelligent Multi-Information display (i-MID) enables the driver to personalize the car. It has a ECON mode which automatically enables the car to be more efficient, all this is achieved only by pressing the big ECON button. It has 1.5 liter four engine that adds the combined output to 110 hp to which the electric motor adds 23 hp. It gives only 10.7 cubic feet cargo space. As the rear seats cannot be folded down, there cannot be any addition to the trunk. It has a front wheel drive type.
Mercedes ML 450 HybridThis luxury SUV hybrid is available only on lease for 36 or 60 months with a fuel economy of 20 city/ 24 highway. It is equipped with nickel-metal-hydride battery bank with a liquid coolant to keep it healthy. The reason behind the lease stated by Mercedes is the shortage of batteries. The car delivers a combined power of 335 hp. It comes equipped with two 3.5 liter electric motors in the two mode hybrid transmission. It has features like 10 way airbag protection, blind spot assistance, anti-lock braking and many more. It comes as a all-wheel drive type system. It has the continuous variable automatic type of transmission with four fixed ratios and manual shifting.
Lexus CT 200hLexus, the only manufacturer that has launched its five hybrids, is offering its latest hybrid the CT200h. It comes equipped with the feature of the pedestrian warming and is priced at $29,120 for the base model. Enabled with many driving modes like ECO, EV and Sport, the fuel economy in the Eco mode is 43 city/40 highway. The car has a simple dial that can be used to change the mode to the sport one that boosts the engine for better fuel efficiency, from the regular one. It has a power output of 134 hp combined from its 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine. It has 14.3 cubic feet cargo behind the second row.
Volkswagen Touareg HybridThis midsized crossover SUV, is priced at $61,995 which is higher than most of the midsized SUVs in this category. With features like rain sensing wipers, dual zone climate control and navigator with 3D landmarks, the car is a treat for Volkswagen followers. It has a combined power output of 380 hp with a 3.3 liter V6 hybrid engine that includes a 47 hp electric motor. It has a special eight speed automatic variable transmission. It comes with features like power-adjustable steering column, rear parking sensors, passenger-seat memory presets, and many more. It is a all-wheel drive type SUV. It has an amazing cargo space of 32 cubic feet and 71 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
With these latest offerings in the hybrid category, the automobile manufacturers are surely seeking opportunities to build cleaner and greener cars.
