There’s nothing new when we hear that Toyota launches a new hybrid. But now it’s a little different, as we are talking about the first luxury hybrid in the world, created by Lexus this time (Toyota’s luxury trademark).
HS250h is the name of the new car. It has inside the first 4 cylinder engine from Lexus, 2.4 liters, engineered Atkinson-cycle. 187 horsepower are created by the HDS (Hybrid Drive System) and it’s going to be one of the cleanest engines on the market, and the manufacturer is targeting a 30% better fuel-efficiency compared to all other Lexus engines. It’s said this figure is spinning around 50 mpg.
As well as the “a little bit older” (from November) 2010 RX 450h hybrid, HS250h is planned to work as efficiently as possible. It will use the heat from the exhaustion system to reduce the time needed to start the engine; this means you can stop the engine more often and for longer time, letting it to be more fuel-efficient. By using an IR filtering windscreen, the car is able to work more without the air conditioning system. The shape is very important, HS250h being one of the most aerodynamic in its class, making it both efficient and silent as the wind is not “whistling”. Talking about the noise, even the windscreen has a sound-insulating inner layer.
Good lighting conditions are provided by the LED headlamp, also good for low power consumption, thus fuel-efficient.
30% of the plastics used at the car are bio-plastics, leading in the whole lifecycle of the car (from first component provider to the destruction of the car) to a reduction of 20% of the carbon emissions.
The comfort is as Lexus got used to have it, very high. The chassis is designed to work perfectly with the MacPherson strut front suspension, double-wishbone rear suspension, coil springs, anti-roll bars, shock-absorber for giving the ultimate driving experience. All through the 17 or 18-inch wheels.
All the systems on the car will drive to excellent maneuverability, control and comfort.
For making it safer on the road, Lexus implemented a lane keep assist system that will keep the car on the lane, using a lane-marker detection camera and the driver can feel the “feedback” on the driving wheel. For making the car easier to drive, it has many of the controls mounted on the steering-wheel. The HDD Navigation System is meant to help the driver and it is positioned for minimum head movement during driving.
