It is no surprise that the new Volvo XC60 premium mid-size crossover has a full suite of safety features, Volvo being rightfully well-known for them. But we can all be told about them and think, okay, that’s nice. It is when you actually experience them that the light bulb goes on and you think, wow, that really works.

What would you say if I told you there was a pickup that averaged over 11.7 L/100km (20 miles per gallon) in the city and still gave you the ability to tow your 5,000-pound boat to the lake on the weekend?

My guess is that you might say that I’ve been sniffing the fuel savings. But, it is true. The new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Hybrid 1500s both sport GM’s new two-mode hybrid system. You heard it right. GM has introduced the first (and only) full-sized hybrid pickup on the market.

Last year, I was handed the keys to a then-new Chevrolet Tahoe for a week-long test. I drove it five times.

Because even before gas broke the dollar-per-litre mark, piloting the 5.3L V8-powered Tahoe proved to be an activity my bank account couldn’t survive. Cruising about town in the most relaxed manner I could manage, the onboard computer still spat out a fuel consumption figure of 16.8 litres per hundred kilometres.

Hybrids now cover the full array of vehicles, from compact to family sedan to full-size truck. Now we come to a hybrid segment not well known, that of the luxury flagship hybrid. It’s a strange breed, this one, almost an oxymoron in itself, as one tends to think of a luxury flagship as a massive road-going land yacht, overflowing at the seams with techno goodies to please their wealthy owners. Not your average tree hugger’s mode of transportation.

While last year seemed to be the year of big horsepower, 2009 is turning out to be the year of efficiency. Last year saw the Mercedes C63 AMG, the BMW M3, the Lexus IS-F, and Dodge’s muscle car, the Challenger SRT-8, all jump onto the scene, all packing big power-pumping V8s that suck fuel with little regard for the record-high prices that flashed across the station pumps when we filled up last summer.

More and more, the benefits of new technology have to be weighed against the costs to the consumer. In the recent past, the reasons to want a car were primarily styling, performance, luxury and intangibles like brand prestige. Those still exist, but now you can add fuel economy and environmental concerns like emissions, both as wants and needs.

Remember the days when the mere sight of a Lamborghini Diablo or Ferrari 308 was a memorable experience? Yes, the prestige of a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Porsche seems to dull when you begin to see each multiple times on a daily basis, being driven by people who don’t seem competent enough to tie their own shoelaces. However, there is a new breed of supercars working their way to the top. Italian builder Pagani, the rejuvenated marque of Bugatti and the unsuspecting Swedish builder Koenigsegg represent today what Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari were in the ‘60s. They are true low-production hand-built supercars that exude soul, character, cutting edge style and most importantly, unfathomable performance.

In the decade or so that hybrid vehicles have been on North American roads, the technology has become the accepted leader in alternative propulsion systems for passenger vehicles. If you want something more economical and environmentally-friendly than a gasoline-engined vehicle, your primary choices today are diesel and hybrid, with hydrogen, ethanol and natural gas in the background for various reasons.