A darn fine car — for a few
The Volkswagen group has been handed multibillion-euro fines and seen its business ethics questioned after the Dieselgate scandal, but the fallout is also having a profound effect on other motor manufacturers.
Porsche — which falls under the Volkswagen umbrella — has gone so far as to declare they “will not build any diesels in the future”.
Toyota president Johan van Zyl, says his company “will stop selling diesel passenger cars in all European markets by the end of this year”.
Yet while a door closes for a power plant in certain markets, it’s an opportunity for other manufacturers to capitalise and utilise their ever-improving technology.
Lexus is one such brand, and in its rather bespoke line-up it offers more hybrid vehicles than any other carmaker, from the ES sedan, RX and NX SUVs to the up-coming LS limo, RC coupe, LC sports car and UX SUV.
In fact, between Toyota and Lexus combined, they have a 50% share of the hybrid market — significant when you consider 1.5 million hybrids were sold in 2017 alone.
A new addition to the Lexus hybrid lineup, and introduced to the South African media last week, is the IS 300h SE.
This vehicle will complement the existing model range of the IS 300 EX and IS 300 F Sport.
Under the bonnet sits a 2.5-litre, fourcylinder engine exclusive for this vehicle which produces 133kW and 221Nm. Working in conjunction with this particular engine is a 650-volt electric motor that produces a maximum of 105kW of power. This equates to a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed governed to 200km/h.
As is customary with hybrid technology, the vehicle can operate solely on the petrol power plant, the electric motor or a combination of both, depending on driving conditions.
Lexus claims the IS 300h can achieve a fuel consumption figure of 4.9l/100km, but on a short drive around the exclusive suburb of Hyde Park we didn’t manage to come close to that.
Perhaps in the New Year we can put that claimed figure to a more thorough test on a longer drive.
The power plant is mated to a CVT transmission with the added benefit of paddle shifts on the steering wheel. While not everyone’s cup of tea, this particular CVT gearbox was quiet and gear changes extremely slick.
The IS 300h — together with the IS 350 F Sport — also benefit from what the brand calls the Lexus Safety System+.
Basically this is a whole host of safety features such as blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert (something I’m finding extremely useful), land keep assist, a precrash safety system (designed to recognise when an accident is imminent by using data from a forward camera and radar sensor), auto high beam and adaptive cruise control.
Visually Lexus has kept the exterior pretty much intact. The front end has been tweaked slightly in the 300h to reflect its “green” credentials — this includes unique LED headlamps and a different design to the traditional spindle grille. The eagle-eyed will also notice a blue Lexus badge and changes to the rear diffuser.
Lexus prides itself on offering its vehicles with a comprehensive list of standard features and looking at the press release and seeing what is included, the only conclusion I can come to is they have ticked all the boxes.
The interior of the IS 300h — and the Lexus range in general — is up there with the best. Materials used, craftsmanship and functionality score high.
In many markets around the world, hybrid vehicles feature prominently on their sales charts, but in SA the numbers are minuscule. And it largely comes down to one factor — price.
Whereas overseas governments offer consumers incentives to purchase hybrid and electric vehicles, in SA no such benefits exist.
Which is a pity, because at the end of the day the IS 300h is a darn fine car, yet only a few select motorists will ever get to experience it. Pricing: Lexus IS 300 EX — R715,400 IS 300h SE — R753,800 IS 350 F SPORT — R806,400