Lexus RX450h uses carbon-cutting hybrid technology (From Bournemouth Echo)

Lexus RX450h uses carbon-cutting hybrid technology

1:49pm Friday 19th February 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

REDUCE your impact on the environment by driving a V6. Doesn’t sound plausible does it?

But Lexus has introduced clever carbon-cutting hybrid technology that drastically reduces emissions and it has fitted this to its striking RX luxury sports utility (SUV) range.

Combining a dual fuel 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine and twin electric motors, its second generation RX450h SE-L emits just 148 grams of carbon dioxide per 0.625 miles (one kilometre).

This results in the road-fund licence costing just £105 a year, less than many smaller cars.

Similar-sized vehicles such as the Range Rover cost £300 more to keep on the road for a year.

“People who buy them are interested in their carbon footprint and want to cheat the government by paying less tax,” says Martin Hayward, dealer principal at Lexus Poole.

“In London it is congestion charge free because it does not pollute at low speeds. It dramatically reduces carbon dioxide.”

There’s no fiddling about with keys to get it started – just a simple matter of pushing the power button to the left of the steering wheel.

The automatic gearbox further contributes to the relaxed feel – simply slot it in ‘drive’ mode and kick the accelerator down. Welcome to lazy driving.

There’s not even a handbrake to worry about, park mode takes care of that.

On starting up, the driver’s seat moves towards the steering wheel and the speedometer lights up as if it is something from the future.

With black leather seats all round, the front ones are electrically heated and adjusted. When the engine is switched off, the driver’s seat moves back, allowing the driver more room to get out.

Surprisingly for such a large vehicle it doesn’t roar into life – it is silent as a mouse thanks to the quiet ‘green’ electric motors fore and aft.

It comes into its own when it’s stuck in endless traffic jams on the M27 and the Bournemouth Spur road. As soon as it grinds to a halt, the petrol engine is overridden by the electric motors, which power the vehicle up to around 30mph.

This technology is so groundbreaking that it is even finding its way into expensive superyachts.

The Lexus doesn’t have a traditional rev counter but a power monitor to the left of the speedometer. The design of this encourages cleaner driving because at low revs the needle stays within the green curve indicating that you aren’t harming Mother Earth.

When driving efficiently, a green Eco sign is also displayed and it is possible for this to stay on throughout an entire journey – even at higher speeds with the help of cruise control.

But green driving, for all its financial and environmental benefits, can be a bit dull and boring. And so thankfully it is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde.

Push the accelerator to the floor and boy does it shift, with a very pleasing roar, travelling from 0 to 60mph in 7.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 124mph.

However, this moment of joy is quickly overtaken by guilt as the power needle soars from green to less efficient white.

Toyota claims that careful driving will deliver over 40 mpg and 380 miles from a tank, which has been almost achieved.

Finished in black with blacked out rear windows, it cuts a striking, intimidating image.

Even parking is a breeze because the test car is equipped with parking sensors and a camera.

But there are some niggles.

Sadly, Toyota has fitted this £52,000 test car with plastic wood on the steering wheel, door inserts and the centre console, which really isn’t necessary. It could also lose the nightclub effect blue lights that automatically switch on when entering the vehicle.

The RX450h range starts at £41,000, rising to £57,000 and Mr Hayward at Lexus Poole says that this model is “pretty much built to order”.

This year the dealer will only be allocated 35, compared to 70 three years ago, as a result of Toyota striving to become the most profitable car maker.