Having your cake and eating it...
The new Lexus HS - a hybrid-only luxury offering from Toyota, already has won advance orders for 1,500 vehicles.
With a 2.4 litre engine, and a sales ticket of just under JPY4 million, the Lexus seems to be proving an alternative to the Prius, whose back order list in Japan has now stretched to eight months - proof, if any were needed, that green is good for the Japanese consumer.
Features such as a reflective windshield (reduces the need for air-conditioning) and specially designed spoilers and aerodynamic add-ons (CD of 0.27) add to greater fuel economy, giving the attractively styled HS the lowest fuel consumption in the Lexus lineup (30% lower).
The use of bio-plastic in the interior allows Toyota to claim a 20% lifecycle CO2 emissions.
All in all, the Lexus HS seems to be proof that you can have your cake (environmentally friendly driving) and eat it in style. When will we see a "green" Rolls-Royce, I wonder?