General Motors Co unveiled plans to launch a plug-in SUV for its Buick brand in 2011, its latest move away from gas-guzzling vehicles in response to higher fuel-economy standards.

The new five-passenger Buick crossover is expected to be the first commercially available plug-in hybrid sport-utility vehicle by a major automaker, and would follow GM’s heavily touted Chevrolet Volt plug-in car into the market.

GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens, announcing plans for the Buick hybrid at an industry conference in Traverse City, Michigan, on Thursday, said the company’s “robust” balance sheet following its bankruptcy restructuring gives it flexibility to focus on product development.

“We’ve been given the opportunity of a lifetime and we know the hard part is just beginning. We have to convince consumers to give us a chance,” Stephens said.

Major automakers, including GM and Toyota Motor Corp, have been ramping up plans for a range of electric vehicles to meet higher U.S. fuel-economy standards and increased consumer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. More