GM Confirms Buick Crossover With Plug-In Dual-Mode Hybrid System for 2011

GM Confirms Buick Crossover With Plug-In Dual-Mode Hybrid System for 2011

By John O'Dell August 6, 2009

Confirming a report we brought you last month, General Motors Corp. says that its Buick lineup will, indeed, get a new plug-in hybrid crossover in 2011.

Speaking at a gathering this morning of auto industry executives, suppliers, analysts and� and media in upstate Michigan, GM product development chief Tom Stephans said the crossover will follow the Chevrolet Volt extended range plug-in due out at the end of 2010 and will use a modified version of the dial-mode hybrid system in us on the Silverado and Sierra hybrid pickups.

The yet-to-be-named 5-seat crossover will be smaller than the present Buick Enclave SUV, Stephans said, and will  have a regular gasoline model, powered by a 2,.4-liter, four-cylinder Ecotec engine with a 3.0-liter V6 as an option.

The plug-in model will be positioned a top-of-the-line with a 3.6-liter V6 mated to the hybrid electric drive.

The hybrid will get gets the same lithium-ion battery cells as the Volt but in a package with only have as much energy storage - 8 kilowatt-hours vs. the Volt's 16 kwh battery pack.

Because� it has a standard gas-electric hybrid system rather than the Volt's all-electric drive, the Buick plug-in will have only about 10 miles of all-electric range before its gas engine kicks in.

Power stored in the battery pack will be used to augment the gas engine when accelerating, towing or otherwise placing heavy demands on the gas engine.

Although Toyota Motor Corp.. will have a plug-in hybrid in test fleets next year and Ford Motor Co. is presently testing plug-in version of its Escape hybrid, GM said the Buick would be "the first commercially available plug-in hybrid" by a major automaker.

John O'Dell:  is an AutoObserver Senior Editor. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.