CNET Reviews (Enlarge photo)

The test would also be limited by how much juice the battery held, as the system is designed to turn on the engine whenever the battery gets below a certain charge level. As we went to start our test, we noticed an initial hurdle: there is no gauge on the car to show the available charge on the hybrid battery pack. Before each run, we tried to get it charged up as much as possible by building up some speed then lightly applying the brakes. The Yukon Hybrid uses regenerative braking and we were able to see from the power-flow animation when the battery was being charged.

Goodwin took the first run, stepping up into the high driver's seat and getting behind the wheel of the big truck. From a stop, he put light pressure on the gas pedal and the Yukon edged forward. The tachometer remained... // CNET Reviews

With the transmission in Drive mode, the power train intelligently moves between its continuously variable mode and its fixed gears, opting for the latter when under high loads or during freeway driving, when the electric motors aren't needed. But you can move the shifter over to Manual, and shift through the four fixed gears with a switch. Otherwise, the Yukon Hybrid drives like other SUVs. It's big and not really designed for hard cornering. The suspension is sprung pretty high, designed to carry a lot more weight than we were subjecting it to.

This point of this vehicle is fuel economy, and it does very well considering its size and large displacement engine. The EPA rates it at 21 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, the former number being particularly impressive. We drove it extensively on... // CNET Reviews