The new and smallest Lexus on the Irish market is something of a conundrum, writes Brian Byrne. But I'll come back to that later.
The CT200h is the brand's latest hybrid car. It is also the first premium hybrid hatchback.
It is, of course, economical. As hybrids are in petrol car relative terms.
And, being a Lexus, it is finished to a high luxury standard.
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Sleek and sharkish at the nose end, much of the latter due to the radical headlights 'eyes'. The unmistakeable Lexus 'L' badge. A profile stretched by what the stylists call a 'tornado' line running from nose to tail just under the windows level. A distinctive hatch section, though the design of the C-pillar and its incorporated glass elements isn't quite to my taste. But the overall effect does look different.
Lexus does a good line in smart alloys too, and depending on the grade chosen, you can have a variety of styles, each one sharp in its own way.
Inside it is a mixture of high-class tech and premium materials. The driver's area is a good place to be, with a pleasantly coherent merging of lines and decorative infills. A three-orb set of instruments, the centre and largest one the speedometer as it should be, and splendid in its clarity. The same can't be said for the ergonomics of some of the other controls, but otherwise in standard Lexus style everything is well labelled.
The review car was high up the grades chain, resplendent in full leather, excellent sound system, the best of climate control and all the other pamperings one expects from the brand. The pop-up central screen does the usual multi-tasking, from navigation through radio station selection and environment management. To handle this, there was a 'Remote Touch' gadget on the centre console, a wiggly thing designed to select options on the screen. Lexus says it is 'award winning', but it would drive me batty. Even more distracting than BMW's iDrive. Lose it, guys.
And for some unknown reason, Lexus is still using that archaic foot-operated parking brake system. I still believe the best is a traditional lift-up handbrake lever and I'm not for changing.
We're now pretty familiar with how the Toyota/Lexus hybrid systems operate and I don't think I need to elaborate much on the mechanics of it. Petrol engine, electric motor, battery, regenerative braking, all the familiar bits working separately and together with the help of seriously clever computer programming.
In the CT200h, the power train is a 1.8 core engine, set up in the Atkinson Cycle that is the most suitable for hybrids, along with a 650-volt electric motor. Combined power output from the system is 136hp, and CO2 emissions are rated from 89g/km. The 3.8L/100km fuel consumption is around 74mpg equivalent. A 10.3secs 0-100km/h performance is brisk rather than powerful, but suits the ethos of the car.
And all that is part of the conundrum I mentioned at the top. That specification makes it the same powertrain as in the Toyota Prius. Even the performance figures are in line. In a car that's only marginally shorter and narrower than the Toyota, probably not making much difference to the interior comfort.
Plus there's only about a grand's difference in the starting price between the two. So, the conundrum is, why wouldn't every potential Prius buyer go for the Lexus instead?
That's a question we'll have to lead to the marketeers. We can assume they know what they're at?
Meantime, the CT200h has four different modes of use. Full EV, where it will travel without the petrol engine involvement until you exceed 45km/h or the battery gets down to a pre-determined level; Eco, which mixes EV and hybrid in the most efficient manner; Normal, which is what it says; and Sport, which switches the engine and CVT transmission responses to offer a snappier progress.
Because the whole operation is so seamless, and the very nature of a CVT autobox is not enthusiastic, driving the CT200h is not really a sporty experience. It isn't really involving, either, but it is a smooth and comfortable drive.
Whether all this hybrid complication really makes a difference in the European context is still open to discussion. A good modern diesel in this size of car can arguably provide almost the same levels of overall economy, though the hybrid does better in other emissions than the CO2 with which we are currently obsessed. Certainly the hybrids work really well in urban and suburban driving but are not particularly more efficient on the open road.
But, leaving all that aside, the CT200h is a car that I grew to like much more than I expected. Part of that is the level of quality inside the car, an area where Lexus manages to find the right balance between cosseting and sharp, finish. And I'd be quite happy with the entry level variant if only because then I wouldn't have to have that Remote Touch nonsense.
A little under €29,000 will get you into the car. The review version was just about €4,000 more. To get behind the Lexus badge, and the quality experience that it represents, that's very accessible.
