Paul Tan on the Automotive Industry
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We’ve already seen how the rear end of the new Lexus concept hatchback looks like, so here’s a few front shot. It definitely shares a family look with the IS sedan, though unlike the IS it is most likely to be front wheel drive and based on the chassis of the Auris. The production version is very likely to be very much toned down.
Look after the jump and you’ll find a photo of the previously unveiled rear end.
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This is probably an Auris/Blade with a new skin, but a C-segment premium 5-door hatchback like this Lexus LF-Ch Concept is vital for Lexus to deepen its penetration of the European market.
The concept’s name is quite easily decoded – LF for L-Finesse (Lexus design language), C is probably a reference to the production car’s CT name while h denotes a hybrid powertrain. Lexus confirms that it will have a full hybrid system which means an EV mode will be available.
More images and details will be unveiled when the concept car makes its public debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
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It looks like Lexus is getting real serious about upping its presence in the European market. Here’s an official teaser sketch of the upcoming Lexus C-Premium hatchback, the first ever visual indication of how the new A3/1-Series competitor from Lexus will look like.
The new Lexus C-Premium is rumoured to be called the Lexus CT, since the Japanese luxury car maker trademarked that name not too long ago. The names trademarked were the CT 200h, the CT 300h and the CT 400h. The h suffix on all the model names seems to indicate this new hatchback might be hybrid-only.
Look after the jump for some renderings by resident “automotive manipulator” Theophilus Chin on how the new Lexus hatchback might look like.
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It looks like the new Lexus C-Premium hatchback will not be called the BS after all. Good for them too, as you can probably imagine the kind of jokes people will be making about a car called a BS, especially from those who argue against the viability of hybrids, since it appears now that the new Lexus C-Premium is to be exclusively hybrid-only.
Lexus has registered three trademarks in the US – the CT 200h, CT 300h and CT 400h. The naming scheme indicates a hybrid-only line-up with power outputs equivalent to a 2.0 litre, 3.0 litre and 4.0 litre regular internal combustion engine.
The CT 200h will probably use a version of the 1.8 litre HSD system in the new Prius, while the CT 300h will probably use the next generation HSD system that will in the Toyota/Lexus line-up replace the one in the HS 250h. The HS 250h uses the hybrid system from the Camry Hybrid, which is based around a 2.4 litre engine. Toyota seems to be replacing its 2.4 litre engines with a 2.5 litre as evident from updates to the US Camry and RAV4, so the 2.4 litre in the hybrid may also go.
The top of the line CT 400h will likely use a variant of the hybrid system in the GS 450h, which is based around a 3.5 litre V6. We know that this engine will fit the C-Premium chassis if rumours that it will be based on an Auris is true, because a variant of the Auris called the Toyota Blade uses a 3.5 litre engine in Japan.
It’ll be interesting to see how well a CT 300h holds up to an IS 220d. The IS 220d is the first ever diesel by Lexus and is offered in Europe. It features a nice 2.2 litre diesel putting out 175 horses and a nice 400Nm of torque.
Specially trained offers of the Humberside Police spent a year evaluating a couple of fast cars to replace the Subarus that they’re currently using in their Roads Crime Section. They ended up picking this one – a Lexus IS-F with a 5.0 litre V8 engine that can take the car from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.
But of course this cop version won’t be able to do that as it’s got lots of extra weight from the £30,000 worth of on-board computers and communications equipment. Apparently one edge that the Lexus had over its competitors is that its driving dynamics and stability was not affected much by the extra weight.
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Lexus has recently launched the new HS250h hybrid car in Japan with a monthly sales target of 500 units per month. The Atkinson cycle 2.4 litre engine mated to an electric motor managed to achieve 23 km per litre based on the Japanese 10-15 life cycle, and on the new JC08 test cycle, it managed 19.8km per litre.
The central LCD screen system which was a main feature and attraction of the 2nd gen Prius cabin that went missing in the 3rd gen is now back in the HS250h and renamed the Harmonious Driving Navigator. It monitors and provides information on the car’s hybrid system, fuel consumption, and brake energy regeneration as well as awards “points” for environmentally (and wallet) considerate driving. These points can be used by a Lexus owner to make donations to charities registered with Project Mirai Isan, which is managed by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan.
The 2AZ-FXE 2.4 litre engine makes 150 PS and 187Nm of torque, supplemented by a 143 PS electric motor with 270Nm of torque, backed by a NiMH battery. An e-CVT combines the two power sources up to a maximum of 190 PS at any one time.
Nothing really that interesting about the engine as its the same one found in the Camry Hybrid but as if to make up for it, there are a few interesting techy bits about the HS250h. The Lexus HS250h also has LED headlamps as well as tail lamps. It has a heads-up display system which can display various info such as speed, lane information and warnings.
A Pre-crash Safety System using millimeter-wave radar detects whether driver’s eyes are properly open and also determining direction of driver’s face. If risk of accident is determined, system warns driver with buzzer and automatic braking. If there is a risk of a crash, the hazard lights flash, and if the risk is even higher, headrests are shifted to the appropriate positions to reduce strain on the neck and chances of whiplash injury.
There is also a telemetry system that reminds me of BMW Assist or BMW ConnectedDrive. The Lexus take on such services is called G-Link (called Lexus Enform with Safety Connect in the US). You will have access to a concierge that help you out in various ways. If you meet an accident, G-Link communicates with the remote Lexus center to contact the police and fire department. The call center will then call you to check if you are safe. If there is no answer, an ambulance will be called. The call centre operator can also help you with finding a location and can send GPS coordinates to your on-board GPS unit automatically. If there is an intrusion while the car is parked, the owner can be notified via phone and email.
G-Link also monitors various car components such as the brakes and engine and can assist with booking a service appointment with your Lexus service center. Of course all of this costs money and G-Link is only free for the first 3 years if you buy the car new.
Look after the jump for a photo gallery with some new photos of the HS250h, some videos, as well as the previously published photo gallery of the HS250h dedicated hybrid.
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Lexus is currently facing the same problem that Jaguar had identified in the recent few years. It simply hasn’t been able to attract younger buyers and the 45 year olds who fell for the Lexus brand when it was first introduced 20 years ago are now 65, and guess what, soon they won’t be in the position to buy any new Lexus cars!
Their solution is new entry level models such as the new HS250h Hybrid (which is really a Toyota Avensis). It is currently relying way too heavily on the RX SUV, which is really not surprising since it is a brand quite firmly planted in the American consumer tastebud. The front wheel drive HS must do well – and Lexus is taking all steps to make sure it does. It just embarked on a comprehensive in-store training program for all of the 228 Lexus dealerships in the US.
A hatchback model under the IS will not do it any good in the US where they like sedans and coupes and not hatches, but it could do wonders for the brand in hatchback-crazy Europe. Lexus aims to improve European sales to 150,000 units annually by 2015, but currently only commands 1% of the total market there.
There has been word for a long time now for a new Lexus hatchback, very likely to be based on the Toyota Auris/Blade. Internally, this project is called the C-Premium and it will rival the likes of the Audi A3 and the BMW 1-Series.
Personally, what are your luxury brand preferences right now? Would you buy a BMW, a Mercedes-Benz, an Audi or a Lexus?
Lorinser who usually dresses up Mercedes-Benz cars has released this bodykit for the Lexus LS. The bodykit consisting of a front bumper side skirts, a rear bumper and a choice of Lorinser wheels is not too overly done, with the only sign of aggression being at the rear where the neatly integrated rear exhaust tips that come standard with the LS have been replaced by quad exhaust tips integrated into the rear bumper lip. There is also a very small bootlid spoiler tacked on.
S300 and S350 owners in Malaysia have been spoiled silly by the amount of kits they have available to tack onto their cars. The AMG bodykit whether from Mercedes-Benz or replicas seems to be very popular lately and then there is of course the Brabus kits offered by Naza. BMW will soon get an M-Sport kit for the F01/F02. Now a Lexus owner will be able to do that too, though it’s very unlikely for a typical Malaysian Lexus buyer to ever consider doing it.
Look after the jump for one more side shot of the Lorinser LS.
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The Lexus F-Sport bodykit and aftermarket accessory range has been extended to cover the new 2-door hard top convertible body variant of the Lexus IS.
In case you haven’t previously read about it, the F-Sport range of products is a step between a regular Lexus and F cars like the IS-F, much like BMW’s M-Sport parts are positioned between a regular 3 and an M3.
The IS C you see here carries alloy wheels of the same design as the one first launched with the sedan IS F-Sport, and the rest of the performance accessories also seem the same, so for full details you can read my previous post on the F-Sport parts. The only thing is the wheels now also seem to be available in 18 inch sizes, while previously the F-Sport kit was launched with 19 inch wheels.
Look after the jump for a full gallery of the IS C equipped with the kit.
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Lexus now have their own iDrive-like device. BMW debuted iDrive with a rotary knob and other car manufacturers followed suit with a similiar knob.
Lexus started off with a touch-screen system, which you can see in the LS and GS sold locally right now but with the new RX, Lexus chose a system they call “Remote Touch control” which looks rather similiar to a Nintendo Wii’s nunchuk.
The little controlled knob works very similiar to the Wii’s nunchuk as well, just nudge it around to control the screen’s mouse pointer. The system also “pulls” the mouse pointer to an icon if it passes close to it.
Look after the jump for more shots of the actual Lexus Remote Touch as found in the new third generation RX.
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