2010 Lexus HS 250h @ 2009 NAIAS
FOR MORE DETROIT AUTO SHOW COVERAGE: www.edmunds.com Lexus has determined that those of you shopping in the entry-level luxury sedan class are underserved by hybrid cars. “Research has shown that more than 60 percent of entry-luxury car buyers would have considered a hybrid if available,” the company reports. Come late summer of 2009, the 2010 Lexus HS 250h will be that hybrid. Although the five-passenger, front-wheel-drive HS 250h sedan unveiled today at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show shares a few basic styling cues with the Lexus IS 250 and ES 350, it doesn’t share much, if anything, beneath the skin. Like the Toyota Prius, it rides on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, but at 184.8 inches overall, it’s a lot longer from nose to tail. It’s 4.5 inches longer than an IS sedan but 6.3 inches shorter than the ES 350. The 2010 HS 250h also owns the distinction of being the tallest (59.3 inches) and narrowest (70.3 inches) passenger car in the Lexus lineup. Since the 2010 Lexus HS 250h is focused more on fuel economy than performance, it’s not surprising to see that it has the same Atkinson-cycle, 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine used by the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Lexus says total horsepower is 187. In the Camry, 147 hp is coming from the 2.4-liter engine, with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack contributing the remaining 40 hp. It’s a fair guess that in the HS 250h it’s the same. To get this power to the front wheels, there’s a transaxle with the electric motors and a planetary-type …
