More Details on the 2011 Lexus CT 200h Hybrid
- Competes with: No other hybrids, but gas-only models like the Volvo C30, Mini Cooper Clubman and the diesel Audi A3
- Looks like: Lexus is in a risk-taking mood — it’s the only thing a luxury hatchback could signal
- Drivetrain: 1.8-liter gas engine and electric motor/generator producing 134 hp (total); front-wheel drive
- Hits dealerships: Early 2011
Lexus is readying its first hatchback for the U.S. market, and if that wasn’t news enough, the model is also going to be Lexus’ latest hybrid. The five-seat CT 200h is a four-door hatch with a gas/electric drivetrain that powers the front wheels. Pricing information and gas mileage figures haven’t been released, but we’ll get our first look at this hybrid when it lands in the U.S. at the New York auto show later this month. It hits dealerships in early 2011.
Lexus says the CT 200h grew out of a recent concept car, the LF-Ch, which was first seen just last fall at the Frankfurt auto show. The production version’s resemblance is very close to the concept — and from some angles, the Mazda3 hatchback. The wheels measure 17 inches in diameter.
As for the drivetrain, Lexus has indicated that the CT 200h is powered by a 1.8-liter gas engine that teams with an electric motor/generator. Total system output is 134 horsepower. Drivers can switch among four different modes — Normal, Eco, EV (electric vehicle) and Sport — that are designed to alter the car’s drivetrain performance. Eco mode also modifies the car’s air conditioning for lower fuel use, while Sport quickens the car’s steering. In a nod to the Sport mode’s performance intentions, one of the gauges in the instrument cluster changes from a charge/assist meter to a tachometer when it’s selected.
Even though hatchbacks — particularly luxury hatchbacks — haven’t been embraced by most U.S. car buyers, they’ve fared better when the technology in them has been the main attraction. (Witness the Toyota Prius.) The CT 200h also packs hybrid technology, but the luxury market is fickle, so it will be interesting to see how buyers respond to the car. More photos below.
