Lexus Hybrid Drive is the fruition of fifteen years of intensive research and development and has already resulted in three breakthrough Lexus models: The RX 400h SUV, the GS 450h performance saloon and the LS 600h luxury flagship saloon. All three hybrids deliver unique combination of low emissions, exceptionally quiet power and fuel efficiency.
Lexus RX 400h - Launched 2005
The Lexus RX 400h luxury SUV harnesses the power of a 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine and two powerful electric motors, delivering 269 Bhp of seamless power, whilst returning the lowest premium petrol SUV fuel consumption today: 34.9 mpg in the combined cycle.
To do this, its advanced control systems make sure that power is sent exactly where it's needed, to the wheels or to the electric generator, making the most efficient use of the vehicle's power. Its exceptionally low Co2 emissions mean lower tax bills too. Company car drivers face a Benefit in Kind tax liability of just 23% compared to its rivals, most of whom are at 35%.
OSAMU SADAKATA, CHIEF ENGINEER, LEXUS RX 400h
"Conventional wisdom says that high driving performance and superior fuel efficiency cannot be achieved in the same vehicle. We have proven that wisdom wrong with the Lexus RX 400h, and taken SUV driving to a new and different dimension"
Lexus GS 450h - Launched 2006
This breakthrough hybrid saloon offers outstanding performance, thanks to the combination of a 3.5-litre V6 direct-injection petrol engine and a high-output electric motor. These two power sources work together in an intelligent and seamless partnership to produce acceleration that is both extraordinarily fast and effortlessly smooth. The system produces an output of over 340 Bhp, rivalling that of a conventional V8 engine, but with the economy of a 2.0-litre petrol engine.
SHIGETOSHI MIYOSHI, CHIEF ENGINEER, LEXUS GS 450h
"The Lexus goal of realising synergy between mutually contradictory objectives has been taken to its extreme in the Lexus GS 450h. However, it was not enough to bring two opposing elements into harmony. The new Lexus GS 450h brings four: fuel economy, low emissions, quietness and breathtaking performance."
Lexus LS 600h - To be launched 2007
Scheduled to arrive in Europe in mid 2007, the all-wheel drive LS 600h will be the world's first vehicle to feature a full hybrid V8 powertrain. The Lexus Hybrid Drive system in the Lexus LS 600h builds upon technology developed in the Lexus RX 400h and Lexus GS 450h to combine an all-new five-litre V8 petrol engine with large, high-output electric motors and a newly designed large-capacity battery pack. This advanced combination will provide the Lexus LS 600h with a peak combined output rating of more than 435 Bhp.