(Chevrolet)
The Chevrolet Camaro could be in for hybrid power. How do we know? The brand has been caught testing the waters for future hybrid powertrains with Camaro owners.
In August, screenshots of a customer survey were posted to the Camaro6 forum, in which Chevrolet explicitly asked a current Camaro owner for feedback on a hybrid turbocharged inline-4 engine and a hybrid V-8 engine. The brand also threw in the 2019 Chevy Silverado's 2.7-liter turbo-4 for consideration.
The survey asked, which of the following engines the owner would choose in a Chevrolet Camaro. The hybrid options and stipulations were as follows:
- A 2.0-liter turbocharged hybrid inline-4 with 365 horsepower, 30 mpg combined, and 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds
- A 6.2-liter hybrid V-8 engine with 545 horsepower, 24 mpg combined, and 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds
The 2.0-liter turbo-4 hybrid engine would come with a $4,000 price premium, while the hybrid V-8 engine would cost an extra $8,000, according to the survey. For comparison, the current 6.2-liter LT1 V-8 engine makes 450 hp in the Camaro SS and the 2.0-liter turbo-four engine makes 275 hp. The hybrids spoken of in the survey would grant the pony car major power and fuel economy bumps.
Chevrolet is clearly gauging interest for a hybrid system in a future Camaro. While the hybrid systems would provide boosts in power and fuel economy, they would cost thousands of dollars more. As an alternative, the 2.7-liter turbo-4 option mentioned in the survey would be a $0 option, provide 310 hp, and 25 mpg combined.
We reached out to GM for comment on the survey and a spokesperson told Motor Authority, "We routinely survey our customers across all of our vehicles on potential future technologies or features, but that doesn’t mean we are going to institute them.”
GM patented a high-compression, twin-charged hybrid powertrain last October, and that could be a precursor to any sort of hybrid system the automaker has in the works. However, we wouldn't expect a Camaro hybrid with a V-8 engine to share many similarities with the rumored mid-engine C8 Corvette hybrid, especially since the Corvette's powertrain would be designed to fit in the middle of the car. Also, in 2013, GM North America President Mark Reuss said to not laugh off of hybrid Corvette, so it's easy to imagine a hybrid Camaro.
The hybrid Camaro talk comes as Ford prepares to launch its own Mustang Hybrid in 2020, which the automaker may have teased in a new advertisement. The pony car wars may get a little greener in the years to come.