Lexus trademarks CT 200h, CT 300h and CT 400h

2010 Lexus RX 450h

By Thami Masemola
July 31, 2009 11:49 PM
Filed Under: Japanese, Leaks, Lexus

Toyota Motor Corporation‘s new CEO Akio Toyoda is a young man with plenty of petrol in his veins. One only has to take one look at the official press pictures of him to see this. These have generally centred around a blue racing overall and a fire-breathing Lexus IS-F.

But his company is an evolving one, a company known just as much for its reliable automobiles as it is for hybrid technology. Over recent years Toyota's Lexus division has become a top-three selling premium brand in the US and is growing in a number of other markets as well. But that growth has been somewhat limited partly because Lexus does not play in the fastest growing segment of the premium market. That segment is overrun by cars like the Audi A3 and the BMW 1 Series.

A recent report published in WCF told of how Lexus will soon be offering a competitor for these Germans. What is now more apparent is that the range will be designated as CT in addition to existing IS, GS, RX and LS models. It will also be hybrid-only. Last month the company filed US patents for the words CT 200h, CT 300h and CT 400h. While the Europeans continue reaping diesel rewards, Lexus sees a better opportunity in the hybrid scenario. What these model designations mean is that the CT 200h for instance, will have 2.0-litre performance and good fuel consumption from a smaller engine. Likewise the 400h offers 4.0-litre V8 performance from a smaller engine, likely to be the 3.5-litre found in a number of other Toyota cars. The latter might be compared to current foes like the Audi S3 and the BMW 135i.

A concept version of the Lexus CT will, so goes the rumour, appear at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, then move to Tokyo in October, possibly to LA in December, Detroit in January 2010 and then Geneva by which time it will be the production version on show.

Source: my.IS via autoblog

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Tags: Lexus CT 200h, Lexus CT 300h, Lexus CT 400h

Lexus teases premium compact concept for Frankfurt (25 comments
Lexus developing BMW 1-Series rival (36 comments

Comments

sub39h

August 1, 2009 1:11 AM

I question the benefits that the 200h will have over the upcoming 2.0 TDI 204 and current 23d engines in the A3 and 1-Series respectively.

the US might love it, but European buyers aren't fooled. hybrids aren't sustainable and they aren't green.

Renegade

August 1, 2009 2:20 AM

Hmm, let me tell you that hybrid tech it's a big plus for cars, because not only it gives better mpg and lower emissions(tax cuts) but also it gives you faster acceleration, give hybrids a few years and we will see Ferrari, Porsche and Corvette hybrid and hybrids will also be used in racing.

sub39h

August 1, 2009 12:30 PM

hybrid tech is heavy and expensive. and whilst hybrid *might* come to motorsport, possibly in a few years, Audi and Peugeot are dominating in diesels already.

and let me tell you, they aren't a big plus in big cars either. if you compare the Merc S320 CDI and Merc S400 hybrid, there's barely anything between the two in CO2 emissions fuel economy or performance. they didn't even bother engineering it for RHD because they knew that in the UK the S320 CDI would significantly outsell it. it's only there because Americans are happy living in a little bubble where what happens in the outside world is irrelevant. (it's not, btw.)

i'd also like to point out that hybrids only work in stop-start city environment, so whilst i'm still getting the benefits of good fuel economy on the motorway in my diesel, you in your holier-than-thou hybrid are not because you're only using the petrol engine, and it has to carry the extra weight of the batteries and electric motors which are contributing approximately 0% to your car's power output.

and i resent governments giving tax incentives for hybrids. dust to dust, they pollute more than a conventional diesel engine. as a UK resident, i could buy something like a Honda Civic diesel (which is built in Swindon) and considering the manufacturing, transport costs etc, i'll be doing much more to save the planet than if i'd bought a hybrid. (that would include the Civic hybrid, which, incidentally, is built in Japan.)

people need to think about their green choices, not just listen to marketing and celebrities.

trinity

August 1, 2009 4:14 PM

completely agree with sub39h

howe2002

August 1, 2009 8:07 PM

Also, what about the environmental impact with the batteries. They cannot be recycled. So in 10-15 years there will be a pile of old batteries to dispose of in 3rd world countries? At least with diesel, it will run for a very long time with no long term waste.

awhk

August 2, 2009 6:34 PM

Hybrids are just the temporary solution, and it is GAY!

McNamara68

August 1, 2009 2:01 AM

and you'll need a CT Scan after driving one, the inspid driving experience will numb your brain into lifelessness . . .

nederina

August 1, 2009 8:44 AM

maybe it is a CT scan machine with wheels?

James2911

August 1, 2009 5:09 AM

This is why Lexus is going nowhere at the moment - hybrid tech simply isn't good enough yet, however they choose not to join their competitors in offering diesel.

scratchy996

August 1, 2009 10:29 PM

they are concentrating on the US market, where hybrids are something like Jesus on wheels. in Europe, people know Lexus is Toyota and they don't want to pay a lot of money on a boring looking Toyota, diesel or not.

Narco

August 1, 2009 10:58 PM

Toyota owns Lexus? My son, you , along with all the Europeans, are genius.

Fishes,

Narco.

Edited by user on August 1, 2009 at 10:59 PM

scratchy996

August 1, 2009 11:34 PM

i know !

teuton

August 1, 2009 4:12 PM

I second you sub39h! Excellent breakup of that hybrid crap! Toyota needn't worry about trademarking those model names as there won't be any takers anyway. The people at Toyota are absolute cretins and the Europeans won't buy into this crap. When they have the audacity to badge a cheap Toyota as a Lexus in certain countries why not take those people for a ride anyway!? Toyota intends to make hay while the green sun shines! None of your green crap will be received here in Europe, Toyota! Good Bye!

Renegade

August 1, 2009 8:22 PM

Diesel fuel contains larger quantities of sulfur then gasoline. The United States has what is considered to be the dirtiest diesel. Diesel fuel also has a lower measure of ignition quality. This means that when it is cold outside, ignition performance is poor and can result in higher emissions. The sulfur in the diesel that is emitted during cold ignitions and long engine idling is still harmful to the environment because the sulfurs prevent the control of diesel particulate emissions through diesel particulate filters. So if a hybrid and a diesel has the same mpg, the hybrid it's cleaner because it has smaller sulfur that is sending in to the air. And then it's the faster acceleration part in case you want performance, but we still need to wait a few years for performance hybrids. Well I kinda understand you, Mr. Diesel was german after all.

P.S. I'm republican, so don't try to say that I have liberal speech, this are only facts.

scratchy996

August 1, 2009 10:45 PM

modern diesels preheat the fuel before it gets injected into the cylinders, they have the same consumption during summer and winter. also in Europe and more recently in the US oil companies must offer ultra low sulphur diesel fuel(ULSD).

ivanadrive

August 1, 2009 11:58 PM

@Renegade: Mr. Diesel was of German decent born in Paris and hence German/French, Mr. Otto on the other hand was 100% German. Do some research and get your borderline racist remarks straight.

Renegade

August 2, 2009 2:06 AM

@ivanadrive: Lol, racist it's a strong word, but I was presuming that teuton it's german (and that he's name comes from the medieval teuton knights) and I said that thinking that diesel engines has some kind of sentimental values for him. Now to call me racist was true if I hated germans, but I respect the german people and I know that the Germans came up with many tech innovations that we use on our cars.

Get_real

August 2, 2009 10:10 AM

The predisposed opinions of people on this forum towards anything related to Toyota/Lexus are frankly becoming ridiculous and in some cases, like 'Teuton' downright abusive. People at Toyota are absolute cretins??? How old are you? What's your problem? Got cut off by a Toyota yesterday? Worked at GM and lost your job because nobody bought the cars made by that 'smart' car company? Europeans won't buy into that crap? Is that why Mercedes, Porsche, ....... are all working on hybrid vehicles? Are they cretin too??

teuton

August 1, 2009 4:13 PM

Exactly James2911! I don't know when those thick headed Toyota goons are gonna get this into their thick headed skulls! Diesel is the way!

findnumber

August 1, 2009 6:14 PM

Actually the fuel consumption advantages of diesel are at the limit... but petrol has some way to go and battery technology and hybrid engineering is improving all the time. The new RX400h is more economical, faster and far quieter than the old model. I have a friend who is a diesel engineer working in Sweden, he says that they are considering hybrids for trucks now because of its advantages over diesel. Toyota makes a lot of diesel trucks, their engineers would have known this ten years ago - Lexus is on a winner. Wait and see in five years, Mercedes will be making petrol/hybrids - it has already started making diesel hybrids but they are not very good compared to Lexus.

deciofp

August 1, 2009 7:16 PM

Don´t agree with anything said here.

Btw, Im European, and I would buy one hybrid from Toyota/Lexus if I could. Thank you all from speaking for all Europeans, but I guess you're the ones who are really going in the wrong direction, not TMC.

Sacto8780

August 1, 2009 8:47 PM

I think people forget that diesel cars in Europe don't meet the EPA Tier 2 Bin 5 standard for exhaust emissions, the reference standard for US-legal emissions certification for all 50 states.

It requires some VERY expensive engineering to build turbodiesel cars that meet US emission laws. As such, until Europeans adopt the new Euro 6 emissions standard widely don't expect many diesel-powered cars to be available in the USA.

sub39h

August 2, 2009 2:20 PM

i don't know about the very expensive bit. BMW are making some fantastically efficient engines at the moment. i don't like BMW but you can't really speak out against their engineering know-how.

plus are you sure that the fact that diesel engines don't meet US standards is because of the poor quality fuel rather than the engines themselves? i was driving there recently and i was really surprised to see that normal "gasoline" is only like 87 RON or something like that. Euro petrol is 91 minimum, up to 99+ if you shell out for Shell V-Power. (i do.)

i'd like to point out that my statements above are referring to current hybrid tech. no doubt in the future hybrids mated to small, efficient diesel engines will be a medium term solution to the oil problem but at the moment they're doing more harm than good and i wish ppl would realise that.

@findnumber:

compare BMW diesel engines from today and from as recently as 2007 and tell me that diesel has peaked.

@deciofp:

we don't speak for Europeans. sales figures do.

alex_w115

August 3, 2009 3:49 AM

in most EU countries diesel-fuel is cheaper because of tax differences, that is why they are popular. Diesel engines got a whole lot more effiecient in the last 10Y or so, but they do require expensive turbo's, expensive high pressure fuel system, expensive exhaust after treatment,... Give hybrids a few more years to develop decent batteries and were there.

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