At just €28,450 Lexus is gunning for Audi’s A3 and BMW’s 1 series with the new CT200h.
The tax band 'A' five-door hatchback is now the entry-level model in the Lexus range. As with all Lexus hybrids we know the small 'h' in the name means it runs on a mixture of petrol and battery power. Emissions are tiny at just 89g/km CO2 so annual road tax is €104.
Not only is this a hybrid but it is also the first Lexus compact hatchback and a very decent effort it is too. The CT200h looks substantial yet doesn’t take up too much road space. The glazed area and low slung appearance adds an air of quality to the exterior. This helps make the car stand out from similar Ford Focus-sized cars.
Combined, the 1.8 litre petrol engine and electric motor produce an unremarkable 136bhp and in turn 0-100km/h takes a far from ligthning 10.3 seconds - CT200h will however average 3.8l/100km (close to 67mpg in old money) and that is impressive. And before the cynic in you asks... CT200h is far more than a Toyota Prius in drag.
Inside the cabin seats five. The CT200h sits low but here is ample headroom even for rear seat passengers. For passengers like pint-sized Kylie Minogue (pictured) the CT200h is huge inside! The dash materials and layout are classy and the driver’s seating position is good too. The ride is firm but comfortable and composed. Being a hybrid the gearbox is a CVT automatic and there is a stylish stubby gear lever that is similar in operation to the one in Toyota’s Prius. You can select D for drive, N for Neutral, R for reverse of press a button marked P when parked. There is the option of pulling the lever in to the 'B' position which give additional regenerative braking assistance. An EV (electric vehicle) button lets you select battery power only – but this only works at low speed (-45km/h) for a short distance and with a very light right foot on the accelerator. There are four electronically control driving modes: Normal, Sport, ECO and EV that do what they imply to the driving dynamics and engine mapping e.g. in Sport mode the maximum voltage jumps up by 150 volts to 650 volts... and the instrument dials glow red!
The dashboard and dial layout is more conventional and less Star-Trek than with Prius. The boot is versatile too and resonably large at 375 litres. The rear seats split 60/40 and of course fold flat to create a generous cargo area. As you’d expect there is a host of standard electronic driver aids plus some new ones too like PCS (pre-crash saftety system). Utilising millimetre-wave radar PCS coupled with adaptive crusie control (ACC) will enable CT200h to ultimately apply the brakes should it predict an imminant collision.
Available in Eco, S-Design (€29,450), Dynamic (€31,450) and Executive (€32,250) trim the new CT200h is welcome addition to Irish roads. With Lexus we will take hybrid powertrains as a given in the coming years.
CT200h - the great news is that for less than thirty grand you can get a new Lexus!
Michael Sheridan
