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Hybrid goes luxe: Lexus GS 450h roars - quietly - out of the gate

published July 03, 2006

Published By
( 4 votes, average: 4.9 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Hybrids, combining an electric motor and battery pack with a gasoline engine, are heralded for their fuel economy and substantial reduction in tailpipe emissions.

But the system also brings a stunning boost in horsepower when applied to larger engines, such as that in the Lexus GS 450h sedan. It has a big V-6 engine that has the kick of a big V-8.


It is the muscle car of the next generation.

Lexus isn't trying to convert Green Peace followers with its GS 450h, which it calls "a top-flight luxury performance sedan designed to have class-leading acceleration and responsiveness."

And that it does, for $55,595, with the topline model churning out 339 horsepower.

It joins the GS 300, at $43,845, with its 245-hp, 3.0-liter V-6; an all-wheel-drive GS 300 for $45,795; and the GS 430 with a 300-hp, 4.3-liter V-8 for $52,070.

The hybrid model's nomenclature - 450h - is a marketing chip. The car's electric-motor-enhanced 3.5-liter V-6 has the power of a 4.5-liter V-8, Lexus says.

Power from the permanent magnet motor, combined with the 292-hp V-6, provides potent acceleration from leaving the traffic light to flooring the pedal at 70 mph.

The power is a remarkable accomplishment without turbocharging or supercharging. Channeled through an electronic, continuously variable transmission, zero-to-60 mph acceleration is 5.2 seconds. That compares with 5.7 for the GS 430 and 6.8 for the GS 300.

And the hybrid GS is 386 pounds heavier than the GS 430.

The electric-motor assist to the rear wheels gives instant power-on and there is no lag from a transmission seeking a downshift or two. The engine just doesn't run out of breath.

The hybridization allows 80 percent less smog-forming emissions than the average new car, Lexus claims, and it gets a Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle, or SULEV, emissions rating.

Fuel economy is 25 mpg city and 28 highway, which compares to 22/30 for the GS 300 (21/27, AWD) and 18/25 for the GS 430.

The hybridization is a two-mode system. It saves fuel and emissions by driving under battery power when starting and moving at slow speeds and by turning off the engine at stoplights.

Regenerative braking captures energy for the battery pack, and the stealth operation of the electric motors also makes for a quieter cabin.

I still envy the six-speed automatic in the GS 430, but since Lexus did away with the steering wheel shift controls, the car's just not the thriller it used to be. But the absolute acceleration of the hybrid brings back some of that fun-to-drive ingredient.

Pop the hood and there's not much to see of the engine. It's shrouded in plastic covers and is as tidy as can be.

Harnessing the gasoline-electric power is fairly seamless, but I did notice a sensitivity when going from cruising speed to hard acceleration, such as for passing or when powering up to merge with freeway traffic.

There can be such a rush of acceleration that the flow of power seemed uneven, as if the gas pedal were controlling two competing engines - which it is. There's a lot of torque going to the rear wheels.

Inside and out, the GS has all the signature Lexus obsession for detail, refinement and features. But not all is perfect. The rear center seat position is ridiculously cramped and compromised by the large transmission tunnel.

The trunk is small enough to challenge large golf bags. And the rain-sensing wipers are maddening to rely on in drizzle, refusing to swipe when really needed.

Standard equipment includes electrically powered air conditioning, power moonroof and power rear sunshade, heated-ventilated front seats that are 10-way adjustable, front and rear side-curtain air bags, Intuitive Park Assist (front end warning tones), rear backup camera and an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery and hybrid system warranty.

A 14-speaker Mark Levinson Audio system adds $1,780; a navigation system is $1,900; and the precollision system with adaptive cruise control, which helps reduce the possibility of a collision or helps to reduce the severity of an impact, is $2,850.

The precollision system uses a millimeter-wave radar sensor to help detect obstacles in front of the car, and a computer watches vehicle speed, steering angle and yaw rate inputs (possible unintended vehicle rotation) that help to determine in advance whether a collision is unavoidable.

If not, the system pre-emptively retracts front seat belts and pre-initializes Brake Assist so that increased braking is applied the instant the brake pedal is depressed.

Engineers have been trying to harness the added energy of an electric motor with a gasoline engine since the late 1800s, but the nobility of that mission was lost in generations of cheap fuel.

Toyota and Lexus are here to polish that pairing and use hybrid power as a performance statement. The full-size LS luxury sedan will also be available as a hybrid.

But at what cost to the consumer?

The Lexus hybrid-drive engine is state of the art now and maybe for the next three years. But hybrid technology will have evolved exponentially by the time the eight-year warranty runs out. And what was revolutionary today will be as outdated as an eight-year-old desktop computer.

That's why leasing any hybrid is a good idea. If you are the type who buys a car to keep for 10 years, buy the traditional GS and enjoy the sound of the engine.

SIDEBAR: SPECS BOX

2007 Lexus GS 450h

Body style: Large, 5-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sports sedan

Engine: Aluminum, DOHC, 24-valve 3.5 liter V-6 with continuously variable valve timing; SULEV, Tier 2, Bin 3 emissions rating

Engine horsepower: 292 at 6,400 rpm

Torque: 267 foot-pounds at 4,800 rpm

Hybrid power: Permanent magnet motor, with regenerative braking

Total horsepower with electric motor: 339 hp

Battery pack: Sealed nickel metal hydride (240 cells)

Transmission: Electronic continuously variable, with power and snow modes

Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph, 5.2 seconds

EPA fuel economy estimates: 25 mpg city, 28 highway; 91 octane required

DIMENSIONS

Trunk space: 7.5 cubic feet

Front head/leg/shoulder room: 37.8 with moonroof/43.5/56.3 inches

Rear head/leg/shoulder room: 37 with moonroof/36.4/55.1 inches

Length/wheelbase: 190/112.2 inches

Curb weight: 4,134 pounds

FEATURES

Standard equipment: SmartAccess keyless entry and push-button start, electronic power steering with variable gear ratio steering, electrically powered air conditioner, power moonroof and power rear sunshade, heated-ventilated front seats (10-way power-adjustable), power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel with automatic tilt-away, 10-speaker 6-disc CD audio system, rain-sensing wipers, Intuitive Park Assist, rear backup camera, power trunk closer, 18-inch alloy wheels and Z-rated tires (or optional run-flats) and eight-year, 100,000-mile battery and hybrid system warranty

Safety: Dual-stage front air bags, front knee bags, rear side air bags, front and rear side-curtain air bags, electronically controlled 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic brake force distribution, Brake Assist, traction control and vehicle dynamics stability control system, tire pressure monitor system, adaptive front lighting system with headlamp washers

PRICING

Base: $55,595, including $695 destination charge

Options on test car: None

Where assembled: Japan

PLUSES: Gratuitous acceleration with some thrift and economy. Immaculate styling and craftsmanship. Tight 36.7-foot turning circle.

MINUSES: Small trunk, cramped rear center seat position, maddening rain-sense wipers


Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at mark.maynard@uniontrib.com.


© Copley News Service

published July 03, 2006

( 4 votes, average: 4.9 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.