On the 20th anniversary of the launch of the brand the Lexus kept its five-year streak of one new luxury hybrid per year alive by introducing its first hybrid-only model, the HS250. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is based on parent-company Toyota's other hybrid-only vehicle, the Prius (note the little quarter windows in front of the A-pillars).
In addition to grafting on a proper sedan trunk, the Prius's Lexusification involves upsizing to the Camry Hybrid's 2.4-liter Atkinson-cycle engine, good for 187 hp total-system horsepower. Size-wise the HS slots neatly in between the IS and ES, with an overall length near that of the former and width approaching the latter.
Interior packaging is also helped by ultra-slim front seat backs. A wide-view front monitor that looks around coners when exiting a blind alley, 10-way power seats, a head-up display, and an available pop-up nav screen with XM NavTraffic and weather and Lexus Empower are among the luxury upgrades that distinguish the HS from its Toyota cousin.
Empower aims to do some of what Ford Sync does in terms of connecting the car with the world outisde, enabling 911-assistance, stollen-vehicle tracking, and allowing owners to send navigation destinations from their computer or PDA to their car.
Spoilers, underbody trays and a "gullwing" shaped roof panel reportedly contribute to a 0.27 drag coefficient. EPA testing is not yet complete, but Lexus expects fuel economy to be 30 percent better than anything else in its lineup, to be best in the luxury class, and to top that of the tiny smart Fortwo, which is EPA-rated at 33 city/41 highway.
Lexus reckons that 60 percent of entry-lux car buyers would have considered a hybrid if one had been available, and that by connecting the HS with some of these buyers will help them reach 1 million annual hybid sales early in the twenty-teens
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