Myth Buster
Like so many great urban myths, it is the "wisdom" of the unknowing that spreads the seeds of misinformation.
Yes, I remember John Travolta gazing curiously at the Toyota Prius loan car after his own gas-guzzling behemoth was trashed in the opening scenes from "Stay Cool".
Unlike the awkward-looking but revolutionary 57kW Prius, the head-turning Lexus GS450h is a mighty "myth buster". Delivering (254kW) V8 performance with Corolla economy is hard for anybody to get their head around, including myself, but if anybody can solve this conundrum, it's Lexus.
The hybrid technology development curve is almost vertical. Gone are the days when alternative energy cars are little more than golf buggies
The GS450h starts by recapturing its own, otherwise lost, energy using "regenerative braking". Put simply, when you are not "on the gas" the Lexus recharges itself - so there's no hooking up to the 240V overnight. Advanced, lightweight Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries, sophisticated versions of your mobile phone and camera batteries, deliver previously unheard of power and recharge very quickly. Replacement, if required, is by individual module. There are 40 modules in total.
And to say the Lexus GS450h drives just like a normal car is to do it a great disservice.
Web Spin: Lexus GS450h
Forget What You Know About Cars
Lexus Hybrid Sports Saloon is a Myth Buster
Test Vehicle:
- Lexus GS450h
- $121990
When I think of hybrid cars, I imagine those weird boxy little jiggers that scoot silently past in the background of some sci-fi movie; Small, ungainly and powered by a couple of chipmunks on a treadmill. It’s true, the emerging wave of hybrid cars, while trumpeting carbon canniness and infinitesimal emissions, still look pretty uninspiring no matter how many Hollywood stars buy them.
Then there is the truly revolutionary Lexus GS450h.
From its finely chiselled lines, flawless bodywork, slippery lines and low-raked windscreen, the GS450h flies flagrantly in the face of the hybrid preconception. Not only must I forget about what I know about cars, I even need to forget the little I know about hybrid cars.
The GS450h is every bit the trailblazer, embodying the essential philosophy of Lexus that was the genesis of the revolutionary marque over twenty years ago; Luxury without compromise, impeccable finish, impressive performance and reliability beyond experience.
Slipping into the delightfully fragrant leather, I’m immediately engulfed but not intimidated by the display and controls. In front of me, conventional dials are arranged logically and comfortably, with the more complex dash functions set aside in the centre panel.
The already familiar Lexus keyless entry and ignition is retained in the GS450h, but the hybrid holds a twist. Push the ignition button and –nothing happens! It’s sibling, the conventional GS430 will respond with a muted, but confident murmur from beneath the bonnet, imbibed into every fragment of the vehicle. Depress the same button on the GS450h and the dash replies. But the secondary powerplant, a mighty 147kW, 650V DC electric motor, awaits your input.
Engage
drive; gently squeeze the pedal and the car moves silently and effortlessly
from its stationary pose, creeping at first, then in a stealthy leap,
lunges forward as the full torque of the electric motor is delivered,
virtually from zero RPM. Pedestrians are more likely to hear the 14-speaker
Mark Levinson sound system well before they detect the arrival of the
GS450h.
Now we’re on the freeway; three lanes of motley vehicles arrayed before us, some belching the tell-tale smoke of 20th Century technology. The 3.5 litre DOHC petrol V6 is now sharing power delivery duty to the rear wheels with the electric motor. We leave the 80 km/h zone and move to our rightful place in the fast lane, a short dab on the intelligent electronic throttle increases our velocity to the legal limit with a velvety smooth thrust. Set Active Cruise Control (ACC) and we keep a constant, safe distance thanks to the millimetre wavelength radar.
Since our original
departure amid the hurley-burly of city traffic, out through the stop-start
of the suburban arteries and finally to the free-flowing motorway, there
is not the slightest hint of a gear change. The acceleration process from
zero to 110 km/h has been a seamless transition through the entire band
thanks to the all-new Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT).
If I was a leadfoot, I could achieve my freeway speed from a standing
start in around six seconds!
Lexus has still thoughtfully considered the needs of “old fashioned”
drivers like me, with a manual mode override on the transmission that
synthesises a six-speed gearbox. I get a chance to experiment with this
on the twisty back roads, but it’s just for fun as the ample 275Nm
of torque is always on call in either auto or “manual”.
Cruising the narrow byways is an equally pleasant affair. Road holding, thanks to fully stabilised, user selectable suspension is nothing short of remarkable. Unavoidable potholes and bumps are reduced to mere pimples and barely affect the balance of the car, its virtual 50/50 weight distribution keeping us unruffled through the windy bits.
The Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDiM) which gathers the combined abilities of the active steering, anti-lock braking and stability control even manages my occasional untidy cornering. Heaven forbid an unforeseen calamity and the Lexus Pre-Collision System (PCS) pre-tensions the seatbelts and ensures maximum braking force to reduce collision speed. I’m happy to leave this feature untested, but in the event of a collision, I know ten SRS airbags will simultaneously inflate.
Its time to set a course for home, so my ten-year son deftly punches our home address into the DVD Satellite Navigation System and the soothing voice guides us politely back on course. We could plot a course clear across the country if we felt like absconding.
Despite its impressive performance portfolio and class-leading get-up-and-go, the GS450h preserves the dignity of its hybrid pedigree and returns economy figures more in keeping with a modest four-cylinder (7.9l/100km). Imagine 254kW from a street-legal 3.5 litre Quad Cam, V6 with the microfibre smoothness of a high-power electric motor and you’re coming close to the GS450h.
Can a car satisfy the inextinguishable urge of power, performance and handling whilst preserving conscience-satisfying economy and responsibly low emissions? The Lexus GS450h, the most complex and technologically advanced vehicle on the market, has convincingly proven this equation. But even more excitingly, this is just the beginning.
Report by Rod Eime. - As published in LEXUS Magazine
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