Lexus CT200h – blue with envy

Written by Damian Murphy
Monday, 19 December 2011 09:29

Everybody wants this car. Well at least everybody who has seen Afropolitan driving it wants this car, and who can blame them? The carmakers at Lexus really are the leaders in true hybrid technology, and it shows in the delivery of their offerings to this market. As they explained to me, their hybrid cars work on a similar premise as a tandem bicycle. The petrol engine drives the car, and when extra power is needed, the electric motor kicks in to boost the performance. When you’re cruising along, the two work together to give you a really efficient, smooth and quiet drive. There are even some instances where the electric motor controls all the power and the car can move along in nearly complete silence.

The exterior of the CT200h instantly won me over. It is sleek, aggressive and sexy, which draws the attention of fellow motorists as you silently zip past them on the bustling city streets. The interior of the Lexus is that of multi-million rand car and boasts the best gadgets, finishes and extras you could ever hope to have. The little touches make all the difference; these include a leather dash, flip up and down navigation and a rocking entertainment system.

It has cruise control, all-round electric windows, Bluetooth, a full leather interior, a reverse camera and dual zone climate control. As it is a hybrid automatic, you would expect the CT200h to be sluggish. Yet the zero to 100 kilometres per hour is a meagre 10 seconds. And with a 1.8 litre, petrol/electric motor that can produce 100kW, the CT200h is a nippy little number that can comfortably get to 120 kilometres per hour without any effort at all, and it can supposedly get all the way up to 180 kilometres per hour at the top end.

The two CT200h S and F-Sport are priced at R343,300 and R398,500 respectively, and the saving on petrol alone makes the CT200h worth every penny – I found the combined economy to be at around 5.2 litres on 100 kilometres. This luxury hatch kicks butt and should become a firm favourite in the years to come.