Honda Fit EV Concept 2012

Honda has unveiled the all-new Fit EV Concept electric vehicle at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. Alongside the plug-in hybrid vehicle, the Fit EV Concept is integral to the Honda Electric Mobility Network as an advanced environmental approach to reducing CO2 emissions.

Powered by a high-density motor derived from the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle, The Fit EV delivers excellent efficiency with a top speed of 90 mph.

The Fit EV will achieve an estimated 100-mile driving range per charge using the US EPA LA4* city cycle (70 miles when applying EPA’s adjustment factor). Driving range can be maximized by use of an innovative 3-mode electric drive system adapted from the 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid.

Battery recharging can be accomplished in less than 12 hours when using a conventional 120-volt outlet, and less than six hours when using a 240-volt outlet. When the Fit EV production model is introduced, it will be powered by a lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor.

The Fit EV Concept displayed at the LA Auto Show features an exclusive Deep Clear Blue Pearl exterior color and five-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with blue inserts. Inside, an eco-friendly gray bio-fabric on the seating surfaces is outfitted.

READ MORE - Honda Fit EV Concept 2012

Chevy Volt Gets Energy-Saving Goodyear Tires and Bose Audio System

Okay, we're pretty sure most of you understand how Goodyear's low rolling resistance "Assurance Fuel Max" tires help maximize the Volt's fuel efficiency, but what's with the 'energy-saving' Bose audio system? A quick read of GM's latest press release on the Volt reveals that the Bose-branded and developed audio system that will be fitted on the production model is 30 percent smaller, 40 percent lighter, and uses 50 percent less energy than conventional Bose sound systems.

GM claims that under certain listening and driving conditions, the energy savings result in increased all-electric drive capability equivalent to removing up to 50 pounds of mass from the Volt.

As for those wondering what kind of savings are achieved with the specific tires, GM said that internal tests showed that these tires will allow for approximately one mile more of electric-only range under certain driving conditions on a fully charged battery when compared to other tires of a similar performance level. We remind you that the Volt is said to achieve up to 40 miles of electric-only range.

"Everything we do with the Volt is about maximizing its mechanical, electrical and thermal efficiency. From the Voltec propulsion system down to individual components such as tires or sound systems, we have been analyzing every part of the Volt so that we can offer a vehicle that is as efficient as possible to maximize the electric range. I think we have achieved this with Bose and Goodyear," said Frank Weber, vehicle line executive, Voltec propulsion system and Chevrolet Volt.

READ MORE - Chevy Volt Gets Energy-Saving Goodyear Tires and Bose Audio System

Infiniti M35h 2011

The Infiniti M35h, will introduce world-first steering and braking technologies when it goes on sale in the USA and Europe in 2011. Like the drivetrain, which marries a charismatic V6 petrol engine with 50 kW (68 PS) electric motor built in to the 7-speed automatic transmission, simplicity was a key tenet in the development of the steering and brakes of the high performance luxury sedan.

Yet when the driver demands it the Infiniti M35h responds like a true high performance machine, offering the linear acceleration and unsullied rear-drive handling of a true Infiniti – complete with all the charisma of one of the great V6 petrol engines. Like the 7-speed Adaptive Shift Control (ASC) automatic transmission that blips the throttle on downchanges, the new braking and steering technologies are integral to the Infiniti M35h’s positioning as the hybrid to please the most demanding of drivers.

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Honda CR-Z 2011 Review

A sporty hybrid? At first glance, the 2011 Honda CR-Z might seem a bit oxymoronic. After all, Americans expect their hybrid cars to be purely about fuel economy, with flowers, rainbows and unicorns coming out of the tailpipe. But Honda is hoping that people are ready for a car that not only gets very good fuel economy but also happens to be fun to drive -- a hybrid without the drive-induced narcolepsy, if you will.

Hard-core enthusiasts will likely be disappointed, but somebody just looking for a sporty two-door with good fuel economy will likely be pleased with the 2011 Honda CR-Z.

Pros, Nimble size and handling, quick steering, good fuel economy, sporty looks. Cons, Poor rearward visibility, most competitors have backseats, missing a few upscale features.

READ MORE - Honda CR-Z 2011 Review

Best car of 2010 award winner Honda Jazz Special Specifications and Price

Best car of 2010 award winner Honda Jazz Special Specifications and Price. Pictures of Honda Jazz special edition

Honda Jazz having Hatchback body type gives fuel consumption (mileage) of 16 kmpl on highways and 13 kmpl in cities has a top speed of 165 kmph.
Specialties of Honda Jazz include maximum engine power of 89 bhp @ 6200 rpm and maximum torque of 110 Nm @ 4800 rpm and it is fitted with Honda Jazz Petrol engine and has 1198 CC.
Honda Jazz has got a length of 3900 mm, width of 1695 mm, 1535 mm of height.
Honda Jazz has power steering and this has capacity of 5 people and with 5 manual gears has the turning circle diameter of 4.90 meters.
The kerb weight of Honda Jazz is 1047 kgs, it has fuel capacity of 42 liters and a ground clearance of 150 mm.
Honda Jazz has parts that include Trip Meter, Tachometer, Body Color Bumpers, and it lacks some parts like Headlamp Washer, Xenon Headlamps and ORVM Indicator.
Studded with parts like Buttons / Controls on steering, Folding Rear Seats, Tinted glass, Door mirrors, Music system, Driver seat adjustment, Steering adjustment, Rear defogger, Rear Wiper, Remote Fuel Filler, Remote boot, Central locking, Power windows, AC, Honda Jazz is lacking some other parts like Auto Headlamps, Auto Viper, Sun roof, Rear AC Vent, Leather seats and Rear arm set.
Furnished with ABS, EBD, Safety Air bags, Honda Jazz doesn’t have Rear seat belts, ESP, Traction control, Fog lamps and Parking sensors.
It is to be noticed that on road prices / cost of Honda Jazz may vary according the city (Bangalore, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad) due to difference in state taxes even though there may be less difference or almost no difference in ex-show room price. The on-road price of Honda Jazz in Mumbai is Rs. 8,26,000.

READ MORE - Best car of 2010 award winner Honda Jazz Special Specifications and Price

NEW ENTRY CARS 2010

TOYOTA

Recently, the North American International Auto show in 2009, Toyota has launched their latest major vehicle produced. Asia and the car has not let the fanatics who came down with the new 2010 Toyota Prius! It's pretty cool sport 1.8-liter four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine block, making fuel economy 50 miles per gallon! Is not it just in time for the campaign to produce more fuel efficient cars? We can bet our dollars on that!

But more than just an efficient performance, third-generation mid-size Toyota from world leaders quieter and roomier than first and second generations. It also features a highly advanced technology and electronic accessories such as solar panel moonroof, four driving modes, Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA), and steering wheel touch controls that are displayed on the instrument panel.

Prius, which means 'gone before' is the world's first mass produced hybrid. That means that Toyota has pioneered environmentally friendly car even before the awareness of the social environment becomes a major issue. In fact, manufacturers have combined in-house System with Hybrid Synergy Drive technology aggressively to come up with a smooth design for the 2010 Prius!

HONDA

Since Toyota launched their Prius eco icon in the North American International Auto show in 2009, Honda did not come last with his own version of environmentally friendly vehicles! One in particular is the press of 2010 Honda Insight hybrid category has also appeared first in 2009 North America International Auto show in January and 13!

This slender beauty brings patented Integrated Motors Assist (IMA) which combines 10-kilowatt or 13 hp electric motor and a compact Intelligent Power Unit (IPU). This is a strong sport and advanced 1.3-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy i-VTEC engine and CVT. The 2010 Insight has a U.S. city and highway EPA fuel-economy rating of 40-43 miles per gallon. This five-door, five-passenger hybrid will be available in April and vehicles carrying more affordable hybrid car in the world.

HYUNDAI

You may have missed the show in 2009 North American International Auto but you do not miss the beauty of a blue 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe! The blue vehicles are also available in flame red and metallic silver is deliberately built rear-wheel driven sports coupe. It features a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that can come with 210 horsepower. But you can also choose to its all-aluminum 3.8-liter DOHC V6 engine block which can release more than that of the standard 306 HP!

Origin of 2010 Hyundai Coupe will be joined by the entire Hyundai car come spring 2009. Expected to bring good numbers when that finally came out in the market because interestingly different from the rest of the sports coupe in the automotive world. Most of the front wheel is driven while the rear wheels will be encouraged but it promises to provide the best driving experience for every fanatic.

As we can see, Asian cars are also the cream of the crop. They are probably the most environmentally friendly vehicle launched in the market, given the size and beauty.

READ MORE - NEW ENTRY CARS 2010

TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID 2010

The 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid sedan offers high quality and reliability of the petrol powered Camry together with increased fuel efficiency. The Toyota Camry Hybrid can operate on any combination of the two power sources. Its power is transferred to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT was chosen for its ability to keep the gas engine in its most efficient power band.

The Toyotoa Camry Hybrid is a front-wheel drive four-door sedan that comfortably seats five passengers. This model is made available in one well appointed trim it comes standard with Hybrid Synergy Drive, a combination of electric motor/gasoline engine fitted with an efficient, continuously variable transmission (CVT). The standard warranty for hybrid-related components is a very long 8 years/100,000 miles. A moonroof, navigation system, leather seats and heated front seats are all optional, please see the lists below. Standard safety features include stability and traction control, six-airbags, and a tire pressure monitor.

More than just a few people are calling this car “the best hybrid on the market today”.

MSRP – $26,150

Fuel Economy Estimates

EPA Fuel Economy Est – Hwy (MPG) 34
EPA Fuel Economy Est – City (MPG) 33
Fuel Economy Est-Combined (MPG) 34

0-60mph – 8.3 seconds




TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID 2010

Specification

Hybrid System Net Power: 187 hp (140 kW) standard
Engine
2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve dual VVT-i four-cylinder, 169 hp [1] @ 6000 lb.-ft. rpm/167 @ 4100 rpm
2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve dual VVT-i four-cylinder, 179 hp @ 6000 lb.-ft. rpm/171 @ 4100 rpm
3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve dual VVT-i V6, 268 hp @ 6200 lb.-ft. rpm/248 @ 4700 rpm
Hybrid Engine: 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i four-cylinder Hybrid: 147 hp @ 6000 rpm, 138 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm standard
Rating emissions
Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV-II) is not available
Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards
Ignition
Electronic, with Toyota Direct Ignition (TDI) standard
Electric Motor Power Output: £ 199-ft@0-1.500 rpm (105 kW @ 4500 rpm) standard
Type of motor: Permanent magnet AC synchronous motor standard
Voltage: 650V maximum standard
Traction Batteries Power Output: 40 hp (30 kW) standard
Battery Type: Sealed Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) standard
Voltage: 244.8V standards
6-speed manual overdrive is not available
6-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive with intelligence (ECT-i) and sequential shift is not available
Kept electronically controlled variable transmission (ECVT) standard
Drivetrain: Front engine, front-wheel drive is standard
Construction Agency
Unitized body with front and rear reduce vibration sub-frames-standard
Hybrid Suspension: MacPherson strut front suspension with gas filled shock absorbers and stabilizer bar, dual-link independent rear suspension MacPherson struts with gas-filled shock absorbers and standard stabilizer bars
Suspension
MacPherson strut front suspension with gas filled shock absorbers and stabilizer bar, dual-link independent rear suspension MacPherson struts with gas filled shock absorbers and stabilizer bar (SE adds sport-tuned shock absorbers and springs, strut tower and trunk-mounted braces)
Steerage
Variable-assist power rack-and-pinion (Hybrid adds standard power-assist)
Turning circle diameter, curb to curb (ft.) 36.1
Brake
Power-assisted ventilated front / solid rear discs with four-channel 3-sensor Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
Hybrid Brakes: Power-assisted ventilated front / solid rear disc with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and integrated regenerative braking standards
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) [4] with Traction Control (TRAC)

Features

Aerodynamic multi-reflector-beam projector lights with auto on / off feature standard
Aerodynamic multi-reflector lamps projector-beam with blackout sport trim and auto on / off feature is not available
Blue-colored headlamp bezels standards
Integrated front fog lights optional
LED (light-emitting diode) for tail, stop signs and lights, standard side
16-in. steel wheels with P215/60R16 tires and full wheel covers standard
16-in. 7-spoke alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are not available
17-in. 5-spoke alloy wheel machine with P215/55R17 tires
not available
16-in. 10-spoke alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are not available
16-in. 10-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are available only as part of option package

Include dual-color outside mirrors power standard
Heated outside mirrors optional / available only as part of option package

Acoustic noise-reducing windshield standards
High Solar Energy-absorbing (HSEA) standard glass
Washer-linked variable intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle standard
Power tilt / slide moonroof with sliding sunshade is only available as part of option package

Blackout sport grille is not available
Heavy-duty electric rear window defogger with timer standard
Dual exhaust not available
Chrome-tipped exhaust standards
Color-spirited front and rear underbody spoilers and side rocker panel molding is not available
Color-spirited rear spoiler lip

Choice

Integrated front fog lights optional
Auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass mirror is available only as part of option package
16-in. 7-spoke alloy wheels with P215/60R16 tires are not available
AM / FM CD player with integrated satellite radio, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod ® connectivity, hands-free phone capabilities and music streaming via Bluetooth ® [3] wireless technology, Vacuum fluorescent displays, six speakers and in-glass antenna
JBL ® AM / FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with integrated satellite radio [audio jack 1], MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary, USB port with iPod ® connectivity, hands-free phone and music streaming capabilities via Bluetooth ® wireless technology, eight speakers in six locations, Vacuum Fluorescent Display and FM diversity reception
Color-spirited rear spoiler lip not available
Voice-activated DVD navigation system [4] with integrated backup camera, JBL ® AM / FM four-disc in-dash CD changer with integrated satellite radio, MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod ® connectivity, hands free -the ability of phone and music streaming via Bluetooth ® wireless technology, eight speakers in six locations and FM diversity reception
Heated outside mirrors optional / available only as part of option package
Leather-trimmed sport seats are not available
Leather-trimmed seats and door trim with integrated armrests and dual front and rear map pockets
Heated front seats is available only as part of option package
Multi-adjustable power passenger seat is not available
Smart Key System with Push Button Start and remote illuminated entry standards
Power tilt / slide moonroof with sliding sunshade

READ MORE - TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID 2010

Toyota Auris 2010 HSD, or Hybrid Synergy Drive

Toyota Auris 2010 HSD, or Hybrid Synergy Drive, will officially go on sale in Europe later this spring. The car uses a 1.8-liter petrol engine and electric motor to provide nearly 62 mpg (US), consuming 3.8 liters of petrol per 100 km.

Featured in the car is a four-cylinder 1.8-liter VVT-i petrol engine producing 98 PS (72 kW) and up to 142 Nm (105 lb-ft) of torque. The engine is coupled with a 60 kW electric motor kicking out up to 207 Nm (153 lb-ft) torque. Surprisingly, maximum combined output is kept at 136 PS (100 kW), which seems low considering the strength of the motor.

Still, the hybrid's direct emissions is reduced to about 89 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The car is kept more efficient by a 0.283 drag coefficient, down from 0.290 on the other Auris models. This is due to aerodynamic changes seen only on the HSD, including longer bumpers, and a better designed grille that improves air flow over the top and reduces resistance underneath. Different lamps can also be seen.

The setup lets the car run on all-electric for up to two kilometers, and at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph). Regenerative braking is also a part of the package. The car features four driving modes, like EV, Eco, and Power. The fourth was not mentioned.

The Auris HSD is available in three different trim levels, with the base level including 15-inch V-design alloys, stability control, push-button start, hill assist, and a rear spoiler. One level up adds 17-inch rims, six-speaker CD radio, and Bluetooth. The last step up adds on Alcantara trim. Several options are also on offer.

READ MORE - Toyota Auris 2010 HSD, or Hybrid Synergy Drive

BMW ActiveHybrid X6 2010

Speed Read

Vehicle Tested:
BMW ActiveHybrid X6 2010

Base Price:
$89,775

Engine:
twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 + two electric motors

Gearbox:
7-speed automatic

Power:
400 hp @ 5,500 rpm (engine alone); 480 hp (total system power)

EPA Rating:
17 mpg city/19 mpg hwy.

On Sale:
December 2009

First Impression:
Possibly the smartest dumb vehicle we've ever driven.

Specs & Performance

Vehicle
Make BMW
Model ActiveHybrid X6
Model year 2010
Style 4dr Crossover
Base MSRP $89,775
Drive type All-wheel drive
Transmission type 7-speed automatic
Engine type Twin-turbo direct-injection V8, 10:1 compression ratio
Displacement (cc/cu-in) 4.4
Horsepower (hp @ rpm) 400 @ 5,500 (engine alone); 480 hp (total system)
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) 450 @ 1,800 (engine alone); 575 (total system)
Brakes, front Electrohydraulic, four-wheel ventilated discs
Steering type Electric speed-proportional power steering
Suspension, front Double wishbone
Suspension, rear Multilink
Tire size, front 255/50VR-19
Tire size, rear 255/50VR-19
Curb weight, mfr. claim (lbs.) 5,688 (mfr claim)
Fuel type Premium unleaded (required)
Fuel tank capacity (gal) 22.5
EPA fuel economy (mpg) 17 City/19 Highway


Specifications
Length (in.) 192
Width (in.) 78.1
Height (in.) 66.5
Wheelbase (in.) 115.5
Seating capacity 4
Cargo volume (cu-ft) 25.6
Max. cargo volume, seats folded (cu-ft) 59.7

READ MORE - BMW ActiveHybrid X6 2010

BMW ActiveHybrid X6 First Drive 2010

The BMW X6 coupe-ute is already a plenty weird thing. The X6 M is weirder still, adding incomprehensible performance capability to this plenty weird thing (to say nothing of pissing off so-called M purists).

But the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 is nothing short of utterly fantastic. And we mean "fantastic" in all of its shades of meaning offered by the Encarta dictionary in the right column of our screen as we write this.

Let's see: The X6 ActiveHybrid is "extraordinarily good," at least compared to other hybrid SUV/coupe things. It is "apparently impossible but real," because, honestly who could have thought of such an impossibly complex thing? It exists "only in the imagination," or it will for the vast majority of humans, as the $89,775 base price will keep it off virtually all streets. That it's "extremely strange in appearance" needs no further clarification, although we note the additional bulge in hood of the X6 hybrid isn't helping make the vehicle look less strange.

And finally, the X6 hybrid is "unusual and unlikely to be successful."

Stop Making Sense
Because there is no conventional frame of reference in the automotive realm that will make the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 make sense, we will from this point forward, avoid trying to make some sense of this vehicle.

After all, what are we to make of a $90K sport-ute with little utility, almost as much sport as the standard and much cheaper X6, but without the big fuel-economy gains that you'd hope would come with 420 pounds of increased complexity?

The ActiveHybrid X6 (which we will refer to from this moment forward as simply the X6 hybrid) is the result of BMW's participation in a consortium of automakers including General Motors and (then) DaimlerChrysler that's since been disbanded. The consortium has to show for its work and money several technically impressive but practically vexing trucks such as the unpopular Chevy Tahoe hybrid and GMC Yukon hybrid, the Silverado and Sierra pickup truck versions, the guilt-assuaging Cadillac Escalade hybrid and, soon, a Dodge Ram hybrid, the BMW X6 hybrid and the Mercedes-Benz ML450 hybrid.

BMW is understandably not eager to talk about the consortium's other offspring, preferring instead to play up the fact that it has built the BMW of full hybrids. In other words, the 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid is meant to maintain as its guiding principle the traditional BMW ideal of performance driving.

The Ultimate Driving Hybrid?
So all right, we'll take that bait. BMW claims that the X6 hybrid does zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. That is indeed high-performance. And that it's done by a vehicle weighing in at a flab-tastic 5,688 pounds is really very, very impressive. Such performance is but a tenth of a second slower than the standard V8-powered X6 and about a second quicker than the six-cylinder X6. And in what surely must be a first, BMW says the X6 hybrid's hypercomplex electronics incorporate a launch control function (although we were unable to make it work on our test car despite repeated tries and guidance from the X6 hybrid's head powertrain engineer).

The 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid uses the same twin-turbo, direct-injection 4.4-liter V8 engine as the conventional X6 V8. For accelerative force the hybrid also brings two electric motors incorporated into the transmission to overcome the hybrid's additional 420 pounds of heft (thanks, NiMH batteries and magic transmission!). Possibly, as children the BMW engineers liked to try to run up the down escalators, just like us.

How It All Works
Look, there's no disputing that the X6 hybrid is a quick thing. BMW says that the powertrain system can make a maximum 480 horsepower. That is enough to move just about anything, but if you floor the throttle from a standstill or from a steady cruise, be prepared to wait awhile for the silicon brains to grab a cup of coffee and figure out what the hell to do about this recent request. We trust that, like many of the aspects of the X6 hybrid (and, for that matter, the related two-mode hybrids), this is possibly the state of the science — that such complex matters might not be able to be sussed out any more quickly. But the end result in the real world of non-engineers is that the X6 hybrid is slow to react to its throttle.

Of course, the presence of four fixed mechanical gears; two electric motors trading duties as power delivery devices or generators for the batteries depending on speed and load; three "virtual" gears that act something like electric continuously variable transmissions but using fixed ratios (for gears 2, 4 and 6); and a handful of magic beans, means that it might take us several lifetimes to figure things out, only to have load, speed or throttle position change when we'd just begun our calculations. Except that it wouldn't, because we'd sooner push the nearly 3-ton X6 hybrid to our destination than to try. Oh, and that's just the transmission.

A more impressive aspect of powertrain performance (though decidedly less typically BMW) is its ability to run on electric power alone up to 37 mph. This is faster than the related GM two-mode utes are capable of doing. And it's a claim with some merit. Furthermore, the gasoline engine fires up and shuts down in a most agreeably smooth fashion. Like the GM offerings, the 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid is all-electric in reverse so we think maybe BMW should just mount the seats the other way around and just forget about the gas engine.

Does Not Compute
So what about those characteristic BMW brakes and steering — two elements arguably more responsible for BMW's ultimate driving machine that powertrain performance?

Well, you won't be surprised to learn that the braking system for the hybrid is complicated by electronics. BMW calls this Sensotronic Brake Actuation, which de-couples the brake pedal from the rest of the mechanical/hydraulic braking system. This is because light braking is accomplished by the regenerative braking system, wherein the electric motors act as generators to recharge the batteries. Beyond a 0.3g threshold of braking force, the conventional hydraulic/mechanical system takes hold. Because there is no mechanical connection between the system and the pedal, BMW is forced to fake it, using an "integrated pedal force simulator." This doesn't so much simulate actual braking feedback as it does simulate stepping on a rubber playground ball. There's an initial light resistance followed immediately by an apparent collapse of all structure, followed by high pressure and unexpectedly high braking force. It's not like a BMW in any conventional way that we know about.

Electrons are responsible for the steering assist in the 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid as well, and, like many such systems, the steering feel is a little light for the old touch receptors. We'd be able to tell better if we didn't drive the X6 hybrid on the highway and surface streets in and around Miami Beach, where there is no geographical feature that a straight road or bridge can't be built directly through.

Just Like Crockett and Tubbs
Miami Beach also proves to be perhaps not the finest place to test handling prowess, unless you're into 90-degree corners and using tourists as apex markers.

The X6 hybrid's reason for being is its purported status as the most dynamic and characteristically BMW of hybrids. Unfortunately BMW's marketing position does not entirely jibe with the fact that the excellent torque-vectoring system from the standard X6 could not be fitted to the X6 hybrid because the battery pack took up the space under the cargo floor. An extra quarter-ton of heft doesn't help, either.

But we'll have to reserve judgment on the hybrid's handling until we get it on roads that curve or undulate or, well, do anything. It gets new, stiffer springs and dampers along with stiffer antiroll bars to cope with the added weight and replicate the tuning of the conventional X6. Also, the hybrid gets its own sassy 19-inch wheels that can only be described as "swoopy."

Those wheels, a few discreet badges and a big old lump in the hood (to accommodate electronics that sit atop the engine) are the only real identifiers of this X6's alternative powertrain.

Also, if you stalk the owner of an X6 hybrid, you'll notice he'll make slightly fewer trips to the gas station than a standard X6 (either V8 or six-cylinder). The hybrid is rated by the EPA at 17 mpg city and 19 highway. Compared to the atrocious mileage of the standard V8 model (13 mpg city/18 mpg highway) and the pretty-darn-bad mileage of the six-cylinder (15 mpg city/21 mpg highway), the X6 hybrid represents a big gain. Still, a rating of 18 mpg combined means this hybrid achieves a combined fuel economy roughly equal to a Chevy Avalanche and an annual gas cost of about $2,300.

The 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 represents more work for less meaningful results than most first marriages.

READ MORE - BMW ActiveHybrid X6 First Drive 2010