DETROIT General Motors unveiled two new SUV hybrids Sunday at the North American International Auto Show, including the Saturn Vue Green Line, which goes on sale this summer priced under $23,000.

The other GM hybrid announced Sunday was the Chevrolet Tahoe, powered by a hybrid engine developed jointly by GM, BMW of Germany, and DaimlerChrysler. The Tahoe will be able to be driven just by its electric motor, or only its gas engine, or a combination of both which will be decided by its computer.

The Tahoe will improve fuel consumption by 25 percent; while the Green Line Vue by 20 percent, GM officials contend. The Tahoe will go on sale late 2007 as a 2008 model. The price hasn?t been decided.

GM officials said during the press preview days that GM is determined to use hybrids to raise fuel economy across its fleet, and will offer a hybrid vehicle for every major vehicle segment. The company is also developing diesels, and producing some ethanol fuelled engines.

The Vue Green Line is the first budget hybrid. It will carry a price premium of $1,500 to $2,000, putting a hybrid SUV within reach of buyers who have about $21,500 to spend. Price premiums on other hybrids range from $3,000 to $5,000.

Production is scheduled to begin July 1 at the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. Sales are expected to start in August, according to GM officials who let journalists drive the vehicle here last month.

GM engineers have developed a simple but effective hybrid powertrain for the Vue. It delivers a 20 percent gain in fuel economy compared with the standard four-cylinder engine with an automatic transmission.

The standard Vue, with a four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission, is EPA rated at 22 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. The Vue Green Line’s major competitor is the Ford Escape Hybrid, a full hybrid, which starts at $27,515 including shipping.

The Escape Hybrid is EPA rated at 36 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.

The Vue Green Line is a mild hybrid. It drives much like the first-generation Honda Civic hybrid. That is, the electric motor doesn’t propel the vehicle by itself. Instead the motor provides a boost to the 2.4-liter gasoline engine when the vehicle is accelerating.