Lexus Boston Hybrids

bostonlexus — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:29:06 +0000

Lexus Boston Hybrid Dealers

Lexus is name synonymous with comfort, convenience and now hybrid, the 2008 GS 450h retains its hold in a market for upscale auto buyers going green. The rear-wheel-drive 2008 GS 450h offers the Lexus Hybrid Drive powertrain that combines a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with an electric motor for 340 horsepower with zero-to-60 in 5.2 seconds. The GS 450h is certified as a Super-Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) with EPA fuel economy tacking in at 22 mpg city/25 highway.

Based upon the LS 460 sedan that debuted as a 2007 model, which itself is jam-packed with technological marvels, the new hybrid sedan shuns that conventional LS’s eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-drive layout. Instead, the LS hybrid uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT), coupled to all-wheel drive. Lexus notes that this isn’t the type of CVT that operates with belts or pulleys, as in other hybrid automobiles. Instead, it contains a pair of planetary gearsets.

The first luxury SUV to combine a traditional gasoline engine with electric drive, the RX 400h generates strong torque for excellent low- to mid-speed acceleration and is equally at home in the fast lane.

Available in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations, the RX 400h delivers powerful acceleration comparable to that of its V8 competitors, while achieving a combined fuel economy ranking akin to many four-cylinder compact sedans. It also carries a Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) rating.

Lexus Hybrid Drive

Lexus Hybrid Drive is a revolutionary blend of power and fuel economy that will change the way you think about automotive performance.

By coupling the torque of a high-output electric drive motor with the cruising power of an efficient gas engine, we have developed a family of vehicles that can deliver the performance of a large gas engine while also achieving noteworthy fuel economy. High torque and seamless acceleration are now achieved more cleanly and efficiently by means of hybrid technology.

Drivers can enjoy an ideal blend of luxury, performance, and fuel efficiency—all with a significant reduction in smog-forming emissions.

Every Lexus hybrid is capable of delivering the best of both worlds: high performance and noteworthy fuel economy.

Lexus revolutionary Hybrid Drive system couples the torque of a clean-running, high-output electric drive motor with the cruising power of an efficient gas engine. These two motive forces are combined synergistically via the Electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT), a planetary automatic transmission with infinitely variable gear ratios that continuously change depending on vehicle speed and engine rpm. The end result is an optimal allocation of electric-drive and gas-engine power to meet the demands of the driver.Performance and seamless acceleration are always available with a simple press of the accelerator. Better fuel economy is realized through efficient driving techniques. The degree of economy you ultimately experience with your Lexus hybrid will relate to how you choose to enjoy your vehicle during everyday driving.

Finally, all Lexus hybrids are built with the same overriding concern for your safety as are our conventional vehicles. They feature rigid body construction, strategic crumple zones, and an advanced network of airbags to help protect you and your passengers.

Another Lexus hybrid goes on sale this summer, taking a big step in a different direction. Dubbed the LS 600h L, it’s the first total-luxury full-size sedan with a gasoline/electric powertrain. Priced at a whopping $104,000, it also will be the most expensive hybrid vehicle to reach dealerships.

Obviously, for this class of buyer, fuel costs aren’t a big concern. Still, driving home an LS hybrid gives the luxury-sedan buyer a bit of a “green” image and a sense of contributing, however modestly, to the welfare of our planet. Lexus claims that the LS 600h L delivers the performance of a big sedan with a V-12 gasoline engine, coupled with the fuel economy of a V-8.

Everything about the LS600h L is silken-smooth. In around-town driving, you have to concentrate hard to discern that the V-8 engine has shut off at a stoplight. Some hybrid powertrains change mode with a bit of a “bump,” but it’s virtually imperceptible in the LS.

On the highway, power bursts take place so smoothly that you hardly realize the LS is when you push down on the gas pedal. On well-surfaced roads, at least, the ride approaches sheer perfection. Steering feel is superior, too: amply assisted but not excessively helpful. Mountain curves are absorbed as neatly and trouble-free as light urban corners. The LS hybrid is unfazed by any terrain, and helps you along without making you feel that it’s taking away any control. Manual mode in the transmission is helpful when easing down long grades, and the transition between ranges is barely perceptible.

Like the regular LS 460, this LS is overloaded with technology. Still, most of it is reasonably logical and comprehensible.

Lexus Dealers Boston » Boston

Lexus Boston Hybrids

Lexus Boston Hybrid Dealers