Carsales Staff•7 Mar 2013
NEWS
Lexus IS 300h tops class in Green Vehicle Guide
Hybrid sedan will give diesel rivals a run for their owners' money, claims prestige importerThe Green Vehicle Guide has placed the Lexus IS 300h ahead of that car's respective competitors in its class.
According to a press release issued by Lexus earlier today, the IS 300h – a petrol/electric hybrid four-cylinder due to go on sale here before the end of the year – has even topped diesel-engined competitors with its combined-cycle fuel consumption of 4.9L/100km and CO2 emissions of just 113g/km.
And the prestige importer claims that the eco-sensitive credentials won't affect driveability, with the IS 300h – the first hybrid to join the Lexus IS range – developing peak power of 164kW from the combination of petrol engine and electric motor. Lexus reckons the IS 300h will knock over the 0-100km/h dash in 8.5 seconds.
European figures for the IS 300h are lower than the local figure, with the Lexus rated at 4.3L/100km in the NEDC combined-cycle test, and a CO2 emissions figure below the important 100g/km threshold. In Europe the car is specified with 16-inch wheels, rather than the 17-inch alloys the company will fit as standard to Australian-spec vehicles. That difference in wheel size and minor variations between NEDC and ADR testing contribute to the differing fuel consumption figures.
Unlike rear-wheel drive hybrids sold by other prestige companies, the IS 300h runs a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Motive power is supplied by the 2AR-FSE four-cylinder, a Euro 5-compliant engine of undersquare design (90x98.0mm bore/stroke) displacing 2.5 litres and running in the Atkinson cycle, rather than the conventional Otto cycle. Fuel induction is by means of Toyota's D-4S direct-injection/port-injection system and dual VVT-i (variable valve timing). Peak torque is 221Nm, occurring between 4200 and 5400rpm, with peak power of 133kW at 6000rpm.
The battery that supplies power to the electric motor – which is rated at 105kW/300Nm – is located below the deck board in the boot and has some positive effect on the car's centre of gravity and weight distribution. According to Lexus it also enhances body rigidity and allows the designers to work a functional 60/40 split-fold rear seat into the packaging. Luggage capacity is also commensurate with conventional petrol-engined IS models.
"The highly advanced drivetrain of the new IS 300h will reward drivers with excellent performance without penalising them with high fuel consumption and emissions figures," said Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley. "No other vehicle in the class delivers a CO2 figure as low as 113 grams."
The hybrid IS will be launched in two grades, Luxury and F Sport. F Sport, the upmarket model, will deliver a unique suspension calibration and electric power steering configured to suit the car's Adaptive Variable Suspension. Both grades will be operable in different driving modes: EV, Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport + (the last exclusively available in the F Sport level of trim).
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Written byCarsales Staff
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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