Lexus Introduces The RX Hybrid

The new Lexus RX 400h hybrid. Following close on the footsteps of the other major auto makers, Lexus is introducing a high-performance, luxury-class SUV Hybrid for 2006, the RX 400h. Built on the same body style as the RX 330, the 400 utilizes a performance gas-electric system to deliver the goods at a fraction of the pump price.

Lexus: "Hybrid gas-electric cars started out as compacts designed to get a gazillion miles to the gallon. That picture is changing and so must our thinking. Witness the new 2006 Lexus RX 400h.

The RX 400h boasts all the advantages of a hybrid gas-electric vehicle: Emissions are extremely low, reducing your impact on the environment. And it burns about as much gas as a compact car, helping to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

But it's fast. Stomp on the gas and the RX 400h jumps off the line significantly quicker than the regular RX 330. It can go head-to-head with a V8-powered Mercedes ML500.

And it's a luxury SUV, loaded with power-hungry features: dual-zone climate control, GPS navigation, power seats, power windows, a power liftgate, available rear-seat DVD, an optional megawatt audio system by Mark Levinson®. You can run all that stuff at the same time without any fears of draining the battery.

And no, you do not plug this car in to recharge it. There is no electrical cord dangling from the grille, no need to look for recharging stations. Living with it is quite similar to living with a regular car. Like other gas-electric hybrids, the RX 400h recharges its battery packs as you drive. The gas engine helps propel the car and recharges the battery.

The RX 400h combines a regular 3.3-liter V6 gasoline engine with one high-torque electric drive motor-generator driving the front wheels and another one driving the rear wheels. It uses a third electric motor to start the engine, help route power to the motors and recharge the batteries. It sounds complicated and we haven't even discussed the all-wheel drive, the elaborate stability control and electronic brake system. The more you study it the more you realize its complexity."

The Lexus RX400h books out at around $49,185 but that's not too much to ask for all the ammenities you get. For more information you can check out the new RX 400h hybrid on Lexus.com

Posted by Loyd on April 25, 2005 | 0 Comments

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