"Gasoline-electric hybrids cannot repeal the law of thermodynamics.
They can only save fuel by shutting off the engine at idle/slow speeds, and recovering a little bit of energy on braking. At higher speeds, with less braking, by definition, they are less efficient due to their higher weight (and less-efficient gasoline engines), compared to an equivalent non-hybrid car.
This makes them ideal for delivery vehicles, or city cars.
The Car & Driver guy is woefully misinformed if he thinks there will be no diesels in the future. The only problem is going to be expense, although the cost of urea injection is still less than the hybrid gear.
The negative aspect of hybrids on the highway is not power, as all modern cars have more than enough power; it is efficiency, as explained above. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
I have no objection to people wanting to buy hybrids; I only object to people trying to prevent me from being able to buy diesels."
Why would that be? Modern diesel pickups have engines with more-than-adequate horsepower, and ludicrous amounts of torque.
And modern turbodiesel cars make gasoline-powered cars almost obsolete. The current Mercedes E320 CDI I-6 already does 0-60 in 6.7 seconds or so, and the forthcoming V-6 will be even faster. In Europe, automakers are actually beginning to introduce diesel sport models.
And then there's this.
Sure, the old diesels were kinda slow...but that was 20 years ago! Although, at the time, I was getting close to the 50 mpg with a Nissan diesel that everyone is so excited about now.
Europe isn't right about much, but they're right about their fondness for diesels. Just about half the cars sold there currently are oilburners.