Toyota Raises Hybrid Profile With a Lexus Luxury SUV

Los Angeles Times ^ | 1-8-03 | John O'Dell

[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.

[doug from upland]

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.

[fporretto]

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

[bmwcyle]

Give the latimes money? Are you kidding?

[mewzilla]

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?

[doug from upland]

Go drive the new Honda Civic hybrid. You can't tell it from a regular Honda.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[doug from upland]

The weight has not been reduced.

[doug from upland]

"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