Lexus Introduces Harmonious Hybrid Hatchback

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Lexus entered the „premium compact“ segment today by launching their CT 200h hybrid hatchback in Japan. They could call it CT 200hhh – as in harmonious hatch hybrid. We’ll get to the harmonious in a minute.

A 1.8-liter Atkinson engine creates the power for the hybrid system. It gets 34.0 km/liter according to Japanese rules. That converts to 80 mpg, using a straight (non-EPA) conversion. The CO2 production is likewise impressive: Only 68 g/km or 76 g/km of CO2 are produced (depending on the test cycle.)

An F Sport version buys a special front grille, sporty seat fabric, a tuned suspension and high-performance tires. The power train remains the same.

The h in the CT 200 h definitely doesn’t stand for hooning. The CT 200h rewards environmentally considerate driving with a “Harmonious Driving Navigator” that gives you awards points for environmentally considerate driving. The points actually have value, they can be used to donate to charity. More details in the official press release.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Tstag Tstag on Jan 12, 2011

    Despite being a small car I suspect this model will appeal more to Americans than Europeans. For the simple reason that Europe hate's all things Lexus and Americans love all things Lexus. I guess it's perspective. We look at Lexus as upgraded Toyota's for old people and as a badge with zero appeal. Wheras we look at BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover as badges with history and cars with style with largely independent bespoke designs. To me as a European I not only hate the style but the brand and all it's designed for old people values.

  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Jan 12, 2011

    It is a Lexus Cimarron, with looks stolen from the Mazda 3 (yuk), but twice the price. This is not why people buy a Lexus. No deal. BTW, the "harmonious driving navigator" I remember from the past was a vacuum-driven shift light, or an "ECO" light on the dashboard. I don't need a computer to tell me I'm wasting gas with my foot to the floor.

  • Cpmanx Cpmanx on Jan 13, 2011

    I understand that different testing methodologies lead to different mileage numbers but...80 mpg on the Japanese cycle vs 40 mpg as measured by the EPA? That makes a mockery of the notion that these wild economy claims have any grounding in reality. Journalists' and consumers' experiences suggest that the EPA numbers are pretty close to ground truth, if perhaps a bit conservative. So this would be a good time to stop touting all those "70 mpg diesels" and "80 mpg hybrids" that are zooming around in Europe and Japan.

  • Rpn453 Rpn453 on Jan 14, 2011

    I can't wait until they figure out how to smoothly integrate tail-lights into the body shape. Again.

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