2010 Lexus HS250h

Sum ‘n’ substance:

When you come across the term, hybrid car, the first thing that you can picture in your mind is a boring looking car with no frills and high on fuel efficiency. However Lexus is trying to change this mindset with the launch of their all new luxury hybrid, the HS250h.

Lexus have bought a giant car-blender, and put in the ingredients of the Toyota Prius, the Avensis and the Camry Hybrid and out came the HS250h. Toyota being the parent company, has helped Lexus develop a car for the masses with a strict control about their carbon foot-print without compromising much on luxury. Ironical as it seems, that the carbon-conscious folk also demand luxury, let’s find out if the HS250h can really deliver.

The Avensis architecture allowed the HS250h to use the Camry hybrid’s powertrain instead of the weak Prius, and so the HS combines a 2.4-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder with electric motors and a battery pack to achieve a total system output of 187 bhp.

The gasoline-powered portion of the HS 250h powertrain i.e. the 2.4L 2AZ-FXE inline four engine produces 147 bhp (110 kW) and 105 ft•lbf (142 N•m) of torque at 4000 revolutions per minute. While the electric motor manages around 40 bhp (30 kW). A 90 pounds (41 kg) nickel metal hydride battery is placed under the rear seats feeds power to the electric motor.

A continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive round out a drivetrain that promises to be capable of providing fireworks. Fuel efficiency, is equally, if not more important, but the most specific Lexus would get at this point is that the HS250h’s fuel economy will be “30-percent better than the most fuel-efficient model currently in the Lexus lineup,” which translates to fuel economy in the mid-to-high 30s. That isn’t going to put a big smile Cameron Diaz’s face but it should make her happy.

Much like the Prius, the HS also features four drive modes for its hybrid power train: normal, ECO, power, and EV.

In Eco mode the throttle response is restrained to smoothen out pedal inputs of lead-footed drivers, while also reducing the power draw of the climate controls. This mode can be selected for the greatest fuel efficiency in mixed gas-electric driving. When you’re in a hurry or in a mood for fun, hit the Power mode to sharpen up the performance for better acceleration at the expense of a few mpgs. Normal mode tries to strike a balance between economy and performance. Finally, the EV mode runs only on the electric motor at low speeds, provided you satisfy certain “terms and conditions” like, the battery must be sufficiently charged and you must treat the accelerator pedal like a land-mine. But the worst is yet to come, even if you drive with the utmost care and frugal use of the ‘A’ pedal, the EV mode will suffice for just about a few miles of sub-20mph driving before the battery drops below the safe level and the gasoline engine fires up to recharge it.

The HS clocked the 0-60 time at 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 112 miles per hour (180 km/h). After all, the car is big and bulky and I’ve not included the interiors.

Lexus are so dedicated to the saving the planet, that they have adopted plant-derived “eco-plastic” or bioplastic materials for their interiors, cargo space, and foam injected areas. Bioplastic is obtained from plant sources such as kenaf fibers and castor seeds. Kenaf-based material was previously used in the Lexus ES rear interior. According to the manufacturer, 85% of the vehicle is fully recyclable.

The HS250h interior is luxurious, with standard leather-trim seating, premium sound and a new multi-media package. Styling is characterized by a broad center console, a newly available Hard Disk Drive navigation system featuring a retractable screen positioned high and forward in the dashboard.

The info-entertainment system features Remote Touch controller, a 7.1 surround Mark Levinson premium sound system, and safety systems. The Remote Touch system is used with the GPS navigation system and operates using haptic feedback. The new Remote Touch interface however, is an odd combination of a trackball and a joystick.

Lexus have gone all out regarding safety features. The HS250h features no less than 5 cameras include Wide-View Front and Rear-View backup cameras. These cameras allow the driver to see around corners. The Lane Keep Assist uses a front-mounted camera to detect lane markers. When the vehicle sees that it is drifting out of its lane, it nudges the electric power steering to pull the vehicle back in to the proper lane. The LED detector Driver Monitoring System warns if the driver is not paying attention and obstacles are detected in the vehicle’s path. And lastly, a Pre-Collision System is designed to minimize damage from accidents.

The basic HS250h costs nearly twice as much as the Toyota Prius and with feature add-ons the price will obviously shoot up. With a price tag like that and with zillions of safety features, that I would trust a toddler who’s high on chocolate while looking at more candy stores with the car, the HS does not live to its basic purpose of being extremely fuel-efficient. It’s a bit dicey, but what is the point of a hybrid if your mpgs aren’t good enough. Lexus have still got to look into that instead of furnishing your car with molded plants. The HS 250h is expected to go on sale in the late 2009 as a 2010 model.

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