The most powerful member of the Lexus GS lineup of hybrid vehicles is the all-new 2013 Lexus GS450h. With a complete absence of road or engine noise, buttery acceleration, soft seats, stone quiet operation and brakes that don’t feel like you’re trying walk around the house in Velcro socks, it has everything you would expect from a luxury sedan.

The drivetrain doesn’t feel the need to beat you over the head with its battery pack or announce to the neighborhood that you’re saving the world one whispery mile at a time. Both driver and passengers get to enjoy a luxury car that just so happens to be a hybrid instead of the other way around.

The midsize GS projects a stately bearing yet its low-slung design hints at a wilder side. The car now carries Lexus’ distinctive spindle-shaped grille and it is complemented by bold hood lines. Sculpted front and side fascias project some aerodynamic flair to the body. LED “eyeliners” beneath the sleek, wraparound headlights add even more visual flair. Overall, only small badges and the blue background on the Lexus logo let you know this car is a hybrid.

If the GS shines anywhere inside, it’s on the tech front. Lexus continues to eschew a traditional touchscreen infotainment interface in favor of its Remote Touch center console-mounted mouse and button system, and while the gadgetry takes a bit of time to use confidently, we found the system to be considerably less distracting than trying to reach halfway across the cabin to mash a screen with your finger. The gear also allows Lexus to employ a massive 12.3-inch LCD that can house plenty of information about climate control, navigation and audio settings.

More importantly, the cabin still retains simple buttons and dials that make adjusting the vehicle’s systems simple and intuitive. In an era when so many manufacturers are keen to jump on touch capacitive and touchscreen-only interfaces, Lexus deserves an award for showing some restraint.

The hybrid system has two electric motors, one that works with the Atkinson-cycle V-6 and combines for 338 horsepower (32 more than other GS models). We were surprised at how well that power combination pulls the battery-heavy car. Step on the gas and the result will surprise you; acceleration is immediate and steady with 0-to-60 time coming in at 5.6 seconds. Then there’s this: An estimated MPG of 29 city and 34 highway for a 4,100-pound car. We found two features we normally dislike — regenerative brakes and a CVT transmisson — to be surprisingly refined. The electronic-controlled variable transmission was quiet and accelerates with confidence. However, in manual sport mode, Peter thought it lost some of that smoothness. A Drive Mode Select dial lets you change between Eco, Normal and Sport modes. There’s also an EV mode for lower speeds and a Snow mode for folks up North. The ride is composed and comfortable, with a big-car feel. The handling isn’t what we’d consider sporty. Still, this is one of the best-performing hybrids we’ve driven.

Lexus is plenty proud of what it has created here. The GS450h starts at $59,450. If that is not big enough for you, keep in mind a similar stack of cash will land you in hardware like a Mercedes-Benz CLS, or even a well-appointed, drop-dead sexy Audi A7. Those machines are more stylish, offer a better driving experience and a more attractive cabin. Odds are we don’t have to tell you where our hardly earned dollar bills would go if we were we handing over a stack of 70,000 of them, fuel economy be damned.

Users search for:

lexus electric car 2014,electric motor for lexus gs450h,lexus 2014 gs450h,جيب لكزس 2014 450.

Related posts:

• 2013 Tesla Model S
  Tesla's luxury sedan Model S is one of the most popular electric cars on the market, its production is increased so it is not surprise we are getting ...
• Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid qualifies for high-occupancy vehicle lane access
  Californians now have another Ford vehicle option to get them where they're going even faster with the all-new Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, as t...
• One-seater Colibri EV debut at 2013 Geneva Motor Show
  The Thuringian Company Innovative Mobility Automobile GmbH (IMA) presents its new electric one-seater called Colibri at this years Geneva Internationa...
• Mahindra Reva to launch E2O in India this March
  Mahindra Reva, the subsidiary of India's largest utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra, will launch its E2O electric minicar in March, despite the...
• 2013 Subaru Forester XT
  The fourth generation 2013 Subaru Forester XT offers a high and commanding driving position, ease of use and practicality, generous interior space and...