Good Hybrid, Lacks Sex Appeal

In a January Appearance on “The Late Show” with David Letterman, Clint Eastwood, in talking about the problems of the Detroit Three auto makers, veers off on a tangent about the lack of sexy hybrid-electric vehicles in the market.

“One of the problems with hybrids and stuff is nobody ever made a sexy one,” Eastwood tells Letterman.

The audience applauds, perhaps suggesting many people would be inclined to buy a hybrid if it were attractive and exciting.

Unfortunately, the Lexus HS 250h is not that car.

While Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand designers have seriously kicked it up a notch in recent years, incorporating their taut but undulating L-Finesse theme on Lexus' newer passenger sedans — the ES, GS, LS and excellent IS entry-luxury sport sedan — the HS, Lexus' first dedicated HEV, is a fish out of water.

Although above average in driving dynamics and, most importantly, fuel consumption, the HEV lacks style, looking like a cross between the lower-priced Toyota Corolla and Ford Fusion.

This could present a problem to Lexus' status-conscious consumers, who will have to pay somewhere north of $30,000 for the model (Lexus has yet to finalize pricing).

To create the HS, the first Lexus hybrid geared toward fuel economy rather than performance, engineers dipped into Toyota's global parts bin, borrowing Toyota's European Avensis platform, sized between the U.S. Corolla compact and Camry midsize cars.

The HS also has the gas engine of the U.S. Camry Hybrid (Toyota's 147-hp 2.4L I-4, codename 2AZ-FE) and a version of the '10 Prius' continuously variable, shift-by-wire transmission.

The HS 250h boasts the same mileage-enhancing components as all newer Toyota hybrids, including exhaust-heat recovery technology. The system captures exhaust heat and uses it to raise the coolant temperature earlier, allowing the gas engine to shut down more often.

Common to other Toyota hybrids, two electric motors are employed, with the first acting as a starter-generator. The more powerful second motor drives the front wheels and can produce up to 140 hp.

Together with the hybrid-drive motor, total system output is 187 hp and 138 lb.-ft. (187 Nm), equal to that of the Camry Hybrid.

Although it lags the power of Lexus' performance-oriented HEVs, the HS exhibits relatively quick acceleration merging onto the highway in the tony Orange County suburbs of Los Angeles.

Lexus says the HS sprints from a standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 8.4 seconds. Not too shabby.

Its electric power steering errs on the light side but stands up as one of the more competent EPS systems on the market.

Lexus estimates the HS 250h will return 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km) on average, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology, running on regular unleaded fuel.

Ward's exceeded the average twice, returning 39 mpg and 41 mpg (6.0-5.7 L/100 km) in mixed, lower speed routes. On the freeway, the average fell to 34.3 mpg (6.9 L/100 km).

Chief Engineer Hiro Koba says the HS 250h can travel on battery power, alone, for two or three miles (3.2-4.8 km), depending on the battery's state of charge and the grade of the road.

A leg through the 2.2-mile (3.5-km) Back Bay conservation area, with a 15-mph (24-km/h) speed limit, boosted Ward's fuel economy to 51 mpg (4.6 L/100 km) from 38 mpg (6.2 L/100 km) at the start.

Engineers used the Avensis base because of the car's sport-oriented rear double-wishbone suspension, says Lexus General Manager Mark Templin.

The HS' front MacPherson strut and rear double wishbone suspensions equate to the softer, more comfortable ride of the ES vs. the harder IS.

But given the pristine condition of Orange County roads, it is hard to predict ride comfort on some of Detroit's crater-filled freeways, for example.

Inside, the HS carries over Lexus' alluring new interior theme, first seen in the '10 RX cross/utility vehicle, winner of a 2009 Ward's Interior of the Year award.

Like the RX, the HS has matte, low-gloss finishes and sleek, user-friendly controls. The center stack protrudes into the cabin, as with the '10 Prius, making it easier for drivers to reach buttons and knobs.

Also like the RX, the HS gets the new Remote Touch joystick, which controls navigation, audio, HVAC and vehicle information functions. The device is located at the base of the center stack, just forward of the cupholders. The Remote Touch knob is bathed in cool blue light, as is the entire cabin.

Although mechanically impressive, the ho-hum exterior could take the HS 250 out of consideration for many luxury buyers. With gas reasonably priced and a cheaper-but-excellent new Prius out soon, Lexus' goal to sell 25,000 units annually looks ambitious.

[+]PROS/CONS[-]

'10 Lexus HS 250h

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-door sedan

Engine: DOHC 2.4L 4-cyl. with aluminum head, block

Power (SAE net): 147 hp @ 6,000 rpm

Torque: 138 lb.-ft. (187 Nm) @ 4,400 rpm

Compression ratio: 12.5:1

Bore × stroke (mm): 88 × 96

Hybrid: Series/parallel with 2 electric motors

Battery: Nickel-metal hydride

Total system power: 187 hp

Transmission: Continuously variable

Wheelbase: 106.3 ins. (270 cm)

Overall length: 184.8 ins. (470 cm)

Overall width: 70.3 ins. (179 cm)

Overall height: 59.3 ins. (151 cm)

Curb weight: 3,682 lbs. (1,670 kg)

Base price range: TBD

EPA mileage: 35/34 city/hwy (6.7/6.9 L/100 km)

Competition: BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, Infiniti G37, Cadillac CTS