Lexus has unveiled what it calls ‘the world’s first dedicated luxury
hybrid’ at the Detroit show, the HS250h. If you’re thinking the LS600h
did a pretty decent job of being a dedicated luxury hybrid, here’s the
difference: the HS250h is - like the Prius Best UK Used Cars – a standalone model that’ll
only be available as a hybrid.
There’s a lot more shared with
the Prius here, too. The platform is shared with the Best UK Used Cars third generation of
Toyota’s family hybrid (which’ll be unveiled here at Detroit tomorrow).
Though the HS250h looks superficially similar to the Lexus IS range,
it’s completely different underneath – the HS250h is front-wheel drive
while the IS is rear-wheel driven.
The HS250h’s drivetrain is
similar to the Pruis, but with a bigger engine for a bit more
performance: where the Prius makes do with a 1.5-litre engine, the
HS250h gets a 2.4-litre petrol four-pot putting out 187bhp. Combined
with the electric motor, Lexus says that –Best UK Used Cars- on the US combined cycle at
least - HS250h should return better fuel economy than a petrol Smart
ForTwo. Impressive stuff.
There’s plenty of clever tech on board,
too – a heads-up display and Toyota’s fancy iDrive-style interface, as
well as a lane departure prevention system and collision mitigation
technology. Phew.The HS250h will go on sale this summer, and
though we’re yet to hear prices, Lexus says it expects to sell around
35,000 units a year. Would you bet against it?
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