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Hybrid Lexus offers both luxury and performance
The Brampton Guardian
Friday May 16 2008
By Lorne Drury
When it was introduced as a 2007 model, the Lexus GS 450h was the first luxury hybrid sedan on the market.
 
BRAMPTON - When a car has a price tag topping the $70K mark, one could hardly call it economical.
And while economy is one of the main reasons many consumers jump into the hybrid market, anyone having an interest in the 2008 Lexus GS 450h will be doing so for entirely different reasons.
Economical it’s not, at least from a purchase standpoint. However, luxury sedan buyers with an environmental conscience who also crave performance may want to take a long look at the GS 450h.
Priced at $71,100, the GS 450h brings a new dimension to the Lexus GS lineup with what was the first hybrid luxury sedan on the market when it was introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model.
What puts this vehicle in a whole different ballpark is the power derived from the gas/electric hybrid setup. It features the same 3.5 litre V6 engine as its stable mate the GS 350, but it’s mated to a high-torque electric motor, bringing performance that is comparable to a 4.5 litre V8— up to 339 horsepower and 274 lb ft of torque. Combine that with the fuel economy numbers of 8.7L/100 km city (32 mpg) and 7.8L/100 km highway (36 mpg) and you have quite a package for a full-size luxury sedan.
Where the real fuel economy savings lies with the hybrid technology is in city driving. The base GS 350 RWD gets similar fuel numbers on the highway, but in the city the savings are significant— 8.7L/100 km (32 mpg) for the hybrid compared with 10.9L/100 km (26 mpg) for the gas only engine.
As an added bonus, there is also a significant reduction in the carbon dioxide emissions from the gas/hybrid model.
For 2008, changes to the GS 450 hybrid are mostly cosmetic— new front and rear bumper design, new headlamp design and updated interior trim details.
The GS 450h comes in one trim level only— loaded! Added to the package this year are premium leather seat surfaces, Blue-tinted headlights and taillights, door mirrors with built-in turn lamps, windshield wiper de-icer and clearance and backup sonar.
Among the features are:
• 14-speaker Mark Levinson satellite ready audio system with steering wheel controls and Bluetooth capability;
• automatic climate control system with dual zone air conditioning and rear seat heater ducts;
• heated power adjustable driver and front passenger bucket seats with memory system;
• ventilation fans for the driver and front passenger seats;
• power door locks with Smark Key stem and lockout protection;
• power windows with up/down function on all windows and side window defoggers;
• push button start;
• cruise control;
• power tilt/telescopic steering column with drive memory;
• power moon roof;
• tire pressure monitoring system;
• Lexus Adaptive front lighting system with headlamp washers;
• DVD-based navigation system;
• 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels;
• multi-information display featuring a kilowatt power meter and voltmeter.
And the list goes on…
On the road, the GS 450h does everything well. There’s powerful acceleration that takes it from 0-100 km/h in about 5.2 seconds. Handling is pretty good for a car that weighs in at 1,875 kg (4,134 lb), thanks in part to an array of Lexus technological goodies including the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management System. This system uses sensors to help anticipate vehicle slippage on cornering and helps to correct it through a combination of braking, steering and throttle control. The system employs various stability and safety systems built into the car— Anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control (TRC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Electric Power Steering (EPS)— to varying degrees.
Suspension is independent double-wishbone style up front and an independent multi-link rear control arm, both with stabilizer bars and adaptive variable suspension that allows the driver to choose one of two settings—normal or sport. The system automatically senses the character of the terrain and constantly monitors your steering and braking movements, then adjusts the suspension damping to maintain your selected comfort level.
Only one transmission is offered, an Electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT) with sequential multi-mode shifter and even a snow mode setting that would be useful during winters like this past one. The transmission works with the vehicle’s rear-wheel drive electric motor to deliver smooth acceleration and more than adequate passing power when needed.
Inside the cabin, the typical Lexus luxury touches abound in the GS 450h including the plush heated and cooled leather seats, beautiful wood trim and polished-metal accents.
If you’re the nit-picky type, one drawback with this hybrid Lexus, and most hybrids for that matter, is limited trunk space. The hybrid batteries are located behind the rear seat and take up a good chunk of the trunk area.
That being said, if lack of trunk space is the biggest drawback, the GS 450h obviously has a lot going for it. And what sedan in its class can offer the same measure of performance, luxury and environmental friendliness?

2008 LEXUS GS 450h
AT A GLANCE

BODY STYLE: luxury hybrid sedan
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, rear wheel drive
ENGINE: 3.5-litre V6 DOHC 24-valve engine/electric motor (339 hp, 267 lb/ft gas engine only).
FUEL ECONOMY: 8.7 L/100 km city (32 mpg), 7.8L/100 km highway (36).
PRICE: $71,100
WEB: lexus.ca