PROVIDENCE — Mayor David N. Cicilline is rolling around town in some fresh new wheels, and doing what he can for the environment at the same time.

Cicilline has purchased a Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, a jet-black behemoth that the mayor’s driver said gets at least 24 miles to the gallon.

But his new sport utility vehicle will take a little getting used to, Cicilline acknowledged. The Lincoln Town Car he used before just looked so … mayoral.

“It did, it did. The Tahoe’s just not the same,” he said.

And over the three days he’s used the Tahoe, he’s found that people expect the mayor to show up in the traditional Town Car.

“People are always saying, ‘Where’s the mayor’s car?’ It’s going to take some getting used to,” he said.

The city acquired the Tahoe from Paul Masse Chevrolet on a lease-purchase plan, where Providence will lease the car for four years, and can purchase it at the end, at a total cost of $43,988.

“I said it’s important to have a hybrid, to set an example.”

The Tahoe sports a black leather interior, a GPS system, and plenty of storage space.

Cicilline spokeswoman Karen Southern said that Providence mayors have used Lincoln sedans for at least 20 years.

One of Cicilline’s regular drivers, Providence Police Officer Darren Hull, said that the Tahoe is big enough that it’s definitely an adjustment squeezing it through Providence’s cramped streets.

But so far, he’s been impressed with the fuel consumption, especially for such a big SUV. “I think we’re getting better gas mileage than the Lincoln did."

And the Lincoln, he said, had seen better days — after 85,000 hard city miles over more than two years, it was time for a change.

“The Lincoln was beat,” Hull said. “Let me put it this way — we got our money’s worth out of that car.”

The Tahoe hybrid is a new model, and one of the few large American-made hybrids available, Southern said. With Cicilline adamant that he wanted an American hybrid, there were few choices out there.

Green Car Journal named the Tahoe its 2008 green car of the year, according to Chevrolet.

dbarbari@projo.com