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Toyota Raises Hybrid Profile With a Lexus Luxury SUV
Los Angeles Times ^
| 1-8-03
| John O'Dell
Posted on 01/08/2003 10:01:35 PM PST by doug from upland
Toyota Raises Hybrid Profile With a Lexus Luxury SUV
The RX 330, to hit the market in '04, is the first sport utility with gas and electric power.
By John O'Dell
Times Staff Writer
January 8 2003
DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp. raised the bar Tuesday in the battle for the emerging gas-electric hybrid market, introducing the first luxury sport utility vehicle with hybrid technology that the Japanese automaker said was the most advanced in the industry.
The hybrid version of the Lexus RX 330 will hit the marketplace late next year as a 2005 model and, according to Toyota, provide not only fuel economy and low emissions but also power and performance that are superior to its conventional counterpart.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: autoshop; emissions; energylist; gasmileage; hybrid; lexus; toyota
My brother, the publisher of Green Car Journal (for which I have written for many years) is quoted in the article. I hope you are able to access the article in full --- it apparently requires registration.
To: doug from upland
My wife has an RX 300 that she absolutely loves. Lexus really does make a nice car. But if we had to choose between a gas-electric hybrid car and a conventional gas-only car, it would take a mighty large raft of favorable features in the hybrid to get us to consider it seriously. I'd forever be worried about the number of new ways it might break down, and where I could take it for maintenance and repairs.
If there are adventurous folk out there who decide to buy this new hybrid SUV, keep the rest of us posted.
Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason:
http://palaceofreason.com
2
posted on
01/09/2003 5:09:51 AM PST
by
fporretto
To: doug from upland
Give the latimes money? Are you kidding?
3
posted on
01/09/2003 5:13:03 AM PST
by
bmwcyle
To: doug from upland
I wonder how much of the hybrid Lexus' horsepower will come from its gasoline engine? And how much of the so-called fuel economy improvement comes from making the SUV lighter?
4
posted on
01/09/2003 5:16:20 AM PST
by
mewzilla
To: fporretto
Go drive the new Honda Civic hybrid. You can't tell it from a regular Honda.
To: *Auto Shop; *Energy_List
To: mewzilla
The weight has not been reduced.
To: All
"The hybrid was never intended to be simply an economy car technology, and for Toyota to put it on a luxury SUV is just huge," said Ron Cogan, publisher of the Green Car Journal in San Luis Obispo and a consultant to the auto industry on environmental issues. "They would not put it on such a prominent model unless they expect it to be successful
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