Tuesday, 8 February 2011

Lexus CT200H

It's recently come to my attention that I haven't blogged specifically about a Lexus yet. I shall now address this balance.

The CT200H is, as the H in the name suggests, a hybrid car. In fact it uses the same underpinnings as the latest Toyota Prius. The only real changes are that the Lexus gets a new independently sprung chassis and a new bodyshell, which includes the interior.

The engine is a 1.4l four pot that produces 97bhp. The electric motor is a 81bhp AC synchronous electric motor. Official performance figures show the car will do 0-60 in 10.3 seconds and go on to reach 113mph. I couldn't tell you if that's for the electric motor or the normal engine. As with the Prius the engine is a little bit multifunctional, it can either charge the electric motor, or drive the wheels itself. This is actually rather brilliant as the car can achieve better fuel economy around town, due to the electric motor running by itself for longer.

The styling is neat and rugged but not impactful. It's not likely to stand out from the crowd. It's not a horrible looking car by any means as it's actually quite handsome but it's not overtly good looking either. The interior however is rather good looking. It looks luxurious and considering Lexus is targeting this as a premium hatchback this is a good thing.

In Lexus's favour, is that this is the first premium hatchback that has been released with hybrid technology. This means that it will probably sell well despite not being sporty to drive. It's not bad to drive but it certainly isn't sporty.

Not a bad attempt and now for your viewing pleasure are a few images.

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