Hybrids

When Ferrari's biggest and baddest supercar is a hybrid, you know the world has changed. Once considered the province of techies and the eco-friendly, hybrids are catching on in almost every vehicle segment. Hybrid sales were up 32% in the first two months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to research firm Autodata Corp. That's driven by a combination of trends, including upward-creeping gas prices, a growing track record for reliability and the wider selection of hybrid offerings - everything from the entry-level Toyota Prius C to the spacious Ford Fusion sedan to the LaFerrari, a 949-horsepower, million-dollar monster.

Subaru introduced its first pairing of hybrid power and all-wheel-drive in its Crosstrek crossover today at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, along with a concept performance car. The 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid is a hybrid version of the funky crossover hatchback the automaker introduced for 2013. PHOTOS: Subaru brings Crosstrek Hybrid and WRX CONCEPT to N.Y. The hybrid version pairs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a small electric motor to make the same amount of horsepower and pound-feet of torque as the gas-only model: 148 and 145, respectively.

You didn't need a crystal ball to know that Infiniti was bringing a hybrid crossover to the 2013 New York Auto Show. With parent company Nissan announcing a hybrid Pathfinder earlier on Wednesday, no one was surprised when Infiniti announced its version of the same vehicle just a few hours later. (Infiniti also told us it was doing this several weeks ago.) The new luxury hybrid is dubbed the QX60 Hybrid. This seven-passenger crossover was originally launched as the JX, but Infiniti recently changed its nomenclature on all its products.

Subaru announced Wednesday it's dipping its toe into the hybrid waters. The company will bring a hybrid version of its funky XV Crosstrek crossover hatchback to the New York Auto Show on March 27. The automaker didn't announce any specifics on the powertrain, but did say the hybrid would be in keeping with Subaru's all-wheel-drive ethos (excluding the BR-Z sports car). Subaru also said that the hybrid powertrain was engineered in-house, rather than relying on one sourced from another automaker.

For all the advantages of diesel cars - fuel economy, robust torque, bomb-proof durability - many U.S. buyers just aren't that into them. Volkswagen knows as much. So despite offering a wide range of fuel-efficient diesels, the company is now moving into hybrid territory. It took its first hybrid step with the Touareg SUV, which costs an eye-popping $63,000. Now VW is offering a Jetta Hybrid sedan. It's also not cheap: the loaded model we tested came to $31,975. Photos: Volkswagen Jetta Turbo Hybrid VW actually prefers you call it the Jetta Turbo Hybrid.

The Infiniti family of hybrids is growing by one. The automaker announced Friday that it will be bringing to the New York Auto Show a hybrid version of its QX60 seven-passenger crossover. If the name sounds foreign, remember that Infiniti recently changed the nomenclature of its entire lineup; the QX60 was formerly known as the JX35 . Don't ask us, we're just the messenger. When the QX60 hybrid goes on sale this summer, it will be the third hybrid model Infiniti sells.

If you're not already sick of hearing about the all-new LaFerrari hybrid supercar -- and with 950 horsepower and a zero-to-124 mph time under seven seconds, why would you be? -- there are now several videos online to whet your appetite. Ferrari posted six videos on its YouTube channel that spell out the details of items such as the chassis , hybrid drivetrain , and vehicle dynamics . The posting follows the LaFerrari's much-hyped global debut at this week's Geneva Motor Show.

After months of speculation, teaser photos and heavily camouflaged prototypes caught testing on the roads of Italy and the famed circuits of Europe, Ferrari's next-generation supercar was revealed Tuesday morning at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. All this for a car called LaFerrari. And it's a hybrid. That's right; the highlight of the Geneva show and one of the most widely anticipated debuts of all of 2013 is a car whose name translates to TheFerrari. And it's not a Ferrari LaFerrari.

We know the horsepower, we know the design, now we know the speed and price of McLaren's forthcoming P1 supercar. Not surprisingly, both numbers are high. McLaren announced Tuesday that the plug-in hybrid will cost $1.15 million when it goes on sale later this year. Just 375 copies of this car will be made. Those 375 buyers will have at their disposal a very fast machine. McLaren says the 903-horsepower P1 will do zero to 62 mph in less than three seconds, zero to 124 mph in less than seven seconds, and zero to 186 mph in less than 17 seconds.