Mixing the worlds of two different things is becoming en vogue. Look around you and you’ll find this amongst many facets of life right now – timepieces combined with technology to give smartwatches or fashion labels combining with high street outlets to give affordable fashion as just two examples. Aside from category hybridisation such as these, sometimes hybrids are apparent within products you might be none the wiser to with your suspicions – such as cars.
Cars have been in the hybrid game for a while – combining the power of petrol-fuelled cars with the technological advances in electric car technology. The result is a vehicle with the required torque to zip through the lower gears yet conserve – and indeed create its own – power when in cruise control. It’s a demand of the world we live in today that we give more thought to how we are impacting the environment and the hybrid car is one answer and one step towards reaching a happy medium between power, comfort and green thinking.
So what car manufacturers are leading the hybrid race? Lexus, the luxury car maker from Japan, is one of the leading pack in Elysium Magazine’s experience. Known for its meticulous attention to detail in luxury car production – there is a reason why a fully specced out Lexus is one of the cars of choice for sportsmen, rappers and company executives. But how well does the world of automotive luxury blend with the latest thinking in hybrid car technology and design? Pretty well from what Elysium Magazine has seen, we’d have to say. The reason – two models that bring this concept and the innovations to life:
RC Coupe
This is the two-door premium coupe from Lexus for those wanting a bit of zip to couple with the style. Featuring rear-wheel drive, the RC 200t comes with 241bhp (brake horsepower) turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine and eight-speed Sports Direct Shift transmission. The RC 300h model features a 220bhp full hybrid system with a 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine. As might be expected from Lexus, all UK models feature LED headlights, cruise control, parking sensors, smart entry and push-button start, dual-zone climate control, luxurious leather upholstery and power-adjustable heated front seats as a finishing touch.
RX SUV
For those looking for a little more space the fourth generation of the Lexus RX luxury SUV is the one to go for. With a fully hybrid RX 450h and turbo-petrol RX 200t models the choice is yours. But the customisation doesn’t stop there – take your pick from all-wheel drive models or the front-wheel drive RX 200t S. This being a Lexus means the levels of comfort and luxury inside the car is uber high – whilst those discerning gents looking for a sportier feel and performance should opt for the RX F Sport model.
Lexus has shown that hybrid technology can be combined with its vision of the luxury car world. Many would raise questions about the feasibility of such a reality – does luxury need to be combined with green thinking? The answer here is yes for sure. It’s the job every brand, not just Lexus, to be thinking about innovations and how this can play its part in the list of desirables a customer, such as the discerning gent, wants from his automotive experience.