OVERVIEW OF HYBRID VEHICLES. WHEN ONE MOTOR IS NOT ENOUGH

According to experts, by 2025 the volume of sales of hybrid cars in the world will exceed 12 million cars. We have selected in our review the five most typical representatives of the “double-moving” brotherhood, in which an internal combustion engine and at least one electric unit are involved in the power circuit. 

Cars with multiple power sources are becoming more and more popular in the world, for a number of reasons. Most importantly, the federal and municipal authorities of a number of countries encourage the purchase of “green” vehicles, offering buyers significant financial benefits. At the same time, automakers themselves are interested in the release of hybrid and electric models, since they are easier to fit into the tightening emission standards that are calculated for the model range as a whole. 

And finally, even in countries where preferences for buyers of hybrid cars are not provided, and our country, as you know, is one of them, such vehicles are nevertheless popular. After all, on the one hand, hybrids allow you to save on fuel, and on the other hand, an additional electric unit gives an increase in power, and due to it, in some cases, the all-wheel drive potential of the car is realized. 

Nevertheless, hybrid technologies take root in our country with difficulty. For example, in January 2019, sales of such a twin-engine hit as the Toyota Prius have recently ceased. Even earlier, in November 2016, deliveries of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV were suspended. In both cases, high prices by the standards of mass segment models, lack of government support and weak infrastructure, in particular the small number of charging stations for plug-in hybrids, affected. Be that as it may, the hybrid caste has recently existed, and there are undisputed leaders in it.

Nissan Murano

In addition to utilitarian advantages, the Japanese full-size crossover also plays an image role, advertising Nissan's high-tech know-how. Recently, the hybrid Murano has been presented exclusively in an all-wheel drive version with a 2.5-liter compressor engine with a capacity of 234 hp. with. and a 20-horsepower electric motor built into the variator and powered by a lithium-ion traction battery. By the way, the Russian calibration of the installation for a total return of 249 liters. with. means a lower tax rate.

An alternative to the hybrid Murano in our market is an SUV with a 2.5-liter 234-horsepower V6 petrol, for which only front-wheel drive has recently been provided. But only the monodrive limits the requests of “jeepers”. Another thing is the twin-engine Murano, to which we have all-wheel drive, the 4 × 4 scheme is implemented through an electronically controlled clutch for connecting the rear wheels. With such a Murano – even on asphalt, even on a country road! 

At first glance, the electric unit here does not give a very large increase in power. However, it also increases peak traction by 43 Nm, which is felt well when accelerating from a standstill and overtaking. Fuel consumption for both the petrol and hybrid SUVs is around 10 l/100 km on the combined cycle (we are again comparing the 4×2 petrol version and the 4×4 hybrid here) – not bad for a car with a curb weight of under two tons. In the case of a hybrid, you can count on a range of 692 km per tank in the city and up to 1029 km on the highway. But there is no purely electric mode. The electric motor here only helps the internal combustion engine.  

In the interior of the hybrid Murano, you will not find almost any differences from the gasoline version, except for the original “tidy” solution. By default, all-LED optics, the most comfortable ZeroGravity leather seats, an avant-garde center console design with a 7 or 8-inch screen and a surround view system and an electric tailgate are offered by default. Also note that all parts of the hybrid drive have a five-year warranty, while the petrol unit and transmission only have a three-year warranty. It is also significant that, like the gasoline Murano, the hybrid SUV is produced at the Nissan plant in St. Petersburg on a full cycle, which predetermines both a competitive price (from 2,756,000 conventional units) and extended adaptation to current operating conditions.       

Lexux UX

When an additional electric motor is integrated into the powertrain of a compact car, the benefits of a hybrid drive become even clearer. Recently, the Lexus UX 250h crossover has played the role of such a twin-engine “baby”. Lexus' entry-level hybrid model has now been offered exclusively in all-wheel drive. Externally, the UX 250h can be distinguished from the petrol UX200 only by the nameplates with a bluish background and the Hybrid inscriptions on the rear doors. The weakest link here is the trunk of only 227 liters: the volume was limited by a nickel-metal hydride traction battery mounted under the rear seat. The 145-horsepower petrol engine is assisted by two electric motor-generators, with the help of which the total output is increased to 178 hp. with. The front electric unit, docked with the CVT, adds almost 30 hp. with. to the final power helps the internal combustion engine at the start and during acceleration. A 7-horsepower electric motor built into the rear differential in turn provides all-wheel drive assistance by turning the rear wheels. However, it is impossible to drive exclusively on electric traction, as is the case with plug-in hybrids. ¬The electronics decides when to activate the traction battery. It turns out that the main advantage of the UX 250h hybrid scheme is economy – the combined cycle gasoline consumption is only 4.8 l / 100 km, 1 liter less than that of the 150-horsepower UX200. Yes, and a jerk from zero to a hundred in a hybrid is more spectacular. The UX 250h does this in 8.5 seconds versus 9.2 seconds for the UX200. Finally, a different weight distribution (a battery in the rear loads the rear axle), as well as reconfigured suspension and steering, make the hybrid more driver-friendly. UX 250h prices start at CU2,979,000,  

Porsche Cayenne E Hybrid 

For Porsche, hybrids are a way to make cars even more powerful. On average, we are talking about an increase of 150 liters. s., which costs customers a couple of million conventional units. This scheme is implemented on the largest models of the brand: Cayenne and Panamera. The third-generation petrol-electric Cayenne, in addition to the corresponding nameplates, is distinguished by an additional hatch for connecting the charger on the left sidewall, original wheel rims and lemon-colored brake calipers. In the cabin, the “hybrid” can only be identified by the special design of the virtual “tidy” and the Hybrid touch button on the central tunnel, which opens access to the hybrid multimedia submenu. In terms of capacity, parity with single-engine versions is observed. The salon is designed for five, and the trunk is able to take from 770 to 1710 liters of luggage, depending on the position of the rear sofa. The hybrid drive combines a 3.0-litre V6 petrol that develops 340 hp. with., and a 136-horsepower electric motor. The total output of the installation is an impressive 462 hp. with. There is also an 8-speed automatic and an all-wheel drive transmission with an electronically controlled clutch that connects the front axle. The lithium-ion traction battery, mounted in the underfloor of the cargo compartment, provides a range of 23 to 44 km, depending on the nature of the ride. It will take about eight hours to recharge it from a household power outlet. Explosive dynamics is the second “I” of the German hybrid. It accelerates to hundreds in just 5 seconds at a top speed of 253 km/h. At the same time, in the combined driving cycle, the car consumes only 3.2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. But everything is known in comparison! There's an even more powerful plug-in hybrid in the Porsche cage. Model Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid with a total power output of 680 hp. with. capable of “shooting” up to a hundred in 3.8 s! And at the same time, the crossover consumes a ridiculous 3.9 l / 100 km in the combined driving cycle. Prices for the Cayenne E-Hybrid start at 7,336,000 conventional units, and for the hybrid monster Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, they will ask for 12,342,000 conventional units.  

Volvo XC60 T8

In 2019, Swedish Volvo launched a plug-in hybrid version of the second-generation XC60 T8 mid-size SUV to our market, which joined the flagship XC90 T8 hybrid crossover. In terms of design, the “middle brother” turned out to be essentially a “reduced copy” of the XC90, from which it also inherited key elements of the hybrid drive. The external difference between the hybrids of the 2020 model year is the Recharge decorative overlays. A unique detail in the cabin is the “tidy”, where instead of a tachometer, a hybrid drive status indicator is designed. The power of the Twin Engine power plant is an impressive 407 hp. with., and 320 forces are provided by a 2-liter T6 gasoline engine with a drive to the front axle, and 87 liters. with. – an electric motor, the thrust from which is transmitted to the rear axle. Transmission – 8-speed automatic with electronic control technology. Cardan is not provided. In Pure Electric mode, the car is capable of reaching speeds of 135 km/h. Power Mode is focused on the most dynamic driving. In AWD mode, all-wheel drive capabilities are realized in the entire speed range. Finally, there is the uncompromising Off-Road jeep algorithm, geared towards driving in difficult conditions at speeds up to 40 km/h. In Hold/Charge mode, limited to 65 km/h, the traction battery is recharged on the move. And from the household power supply, you can replenish the charge of the batteries in 8 hours. By the way, the traction battery is built into the central tunnel here, which made it possible to provide space in the cabin and luggage compartment with a capacity of 505 liters. Acceleration time to hundreds cannot but rejoice – only 5.3 s. Average fuel consumption is 2.3 l/100 km. And in a purely “green” mode, without using the internal combustion engine, the Swedish SUV can cover 43 km. At the same time, the hybrid “Scandinavian” has a lower center of mass, which has a positive effect on handling. current customers are offered two trim levels: Inscription for 5,559,000 conventional units and R-Design for 5,679,000 conventional units, respectively.

Mercedes-Benz E 300 and 4MATIC

In the first half of June, Russian dealers of Mercedes-Benz opened the acceptance of orders for the updated Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans. Such restyled “eyes” should arrive at the dealerships of the brand by the end of summer. As with the entire updated family, the hybrid version of the E 300 e 4MATIC has a redesigned lighting design, a plastic body kit and a radiator grille. The interior is accented by a new steering wheel with double side spokes, and the displays of the virtual “tidy” and the MBUX media system have a diagonal of 10.25 or 12.3 inches (optional). Compared to its predecessor (E350e), the E 300 e 4MATIC has switched from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive. 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 211 hp. with. supplemented by a 122-horsepower electric motor, located in the same housing with a 9-speed automatic 9G-Tronic. The total return of the installation is 320 liters. with. and 700 Nm. With such weapons, it takes 5.7 seconds to accelerate to 100 km / h, and the maximum speed is electronically limited at around 250 km / h. Equally valuable, the range in electric mode has been increased to 50 km compared to 33 km for the E350e. Finally, the average fuel consumption is only 1.9 l/100 km. When using a normal household outlet, it takes about 5 hours to charge the battery. The list of basic equipment of the hybrid E-Class includes LED optics, dual-zone climate control, a digital instrument panel, a rear-view camera and branded driver assistants. The price for the option in the non-alternative Sport configuration is 5,100,000 conventional units. The assembly of most modifications of restyled sedans will be arranged at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Esipovo near Moscow,