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US buyers show little interest in big hybrids

The idea of producing large, luxury-vehicle hybrids is turning into a "what were they thinking?" exercise in futility, USA Today reports. General Motors is discontinuing hybrid versions of the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs, while Mercedes-Benz and Toyota's Lexus division are doing the same with their S-Class hybrid and LS hybrid sedans, respectively. The culprit? Big price increases for fuel economy improvements that border on the unimpressive. Granted, the Escalade hybrid gets 31 percent better fuel economy than the standard version, but that still maps out to a combined fuel-efficiency rating of just 21 miles per gallon. That can be seen as a worthwhile increase, if it didn't cost over $8,000 extra. The 2014 Escalade Hybrid, for example, starts at $74,425 while the non-hybrid can be had for $66,295. Meanwhile, the Lexus full-size hybrid costs $6,000 more than the regular version but only gets 1-2 mpg better combined fuel economy. The result of all these high costs? Low sales. Through April, GM sold 82 of its hybrid SUVs and pickups, down from 541 a year earlier. And the LS hybrid sales were in single-digit territory for April. That isn't stopping Lexus from promoting its hybrids as the right solution (with the wrong facts), though. There are still automakers giving big hybrid vehicles a shot, though. Nissan's Infiniti division is selling a hybrid version of its QX60 and says an impressive 10 percent of QX60 buyers choose the hybrid, which costs just $3,000 more. Looks like money talks. Featured Gallery 2015 Cadillac Escalade: First Drive View 35 Photos News Source: USA TodayImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Brandon Turkus / AOL Green Infiniti Lexus Mercedes-Benz Hybrid lexus ls gmc yukon mercedes-benz s-class infiniti qx60 chevrolet tahoe

2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Interior Driveway Test | Lexus at its best

The 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible is a blessing in the form of a car. Its 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 makes one of the best sounds in automobiledom, and one look will have anybody’s jaws on the ground. Climb inside, and the hits donÂ’t stop coming. In our specific test car, the first thing we notice are the miles of Toasted Caramel leather. ItÂ’s everywhere, and its expensive feel and quality are second to none at this price point. You can get black or red leather, but the Toasted Caramel tan is the classiest option available for the Convertible. Shades of tan on the doors, seats and headrests give it a mild two-tone look, making the color combo even more pleasing. And once you start to look closer at the intricate stitching, quilted seat bolsters, perforations and delicate piping throughout, the LC 500Â’s interior will begin to truly wow with its design. Take the door panel, for example. Rarely would we wax poetically about a door panelÂ’s design, but this one is too damn elegant to not call out. The slender and curved metal door handle looks like a sculpture, and its action is satisfyingly upscale. The checked pattern of leather in a different tone splitting the main swaths of leather is another nice touch. Little things like this can delight and bring a carÂ’s interior from above average to excellence. The LC 500 Convertible is full of these tiny delights. 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible View 34 Photos One rather entertaining bit is the trap door ahead of the center console that hides your roof operation switch. It makes you feel like James Bond fiddling around for a secret “eject” button each time you go to raise or lower the roof. But then you remember youÂ’re in a Japanese grand tourer, not a British sports car. Your passenger has two grab handles to hold onto should the road turn twisty, both incorporated into the carÂ’s design in a natural and classy way. The most delightful aspect of all is overall design itself. The flat plane of a dash is interrupted by a long overhanging piece that begins at the widescreen infotainment display. This leads into a physical clock and decorative trim piece, then runs all the way to the passenger side door. Below this is a second flat expanse, giving the dash a plateau look from door-to-door. Utility and usefulness is not top of mind in a convertible grand tourer, but the LC 500 is not devoid of road trip conveniences. The center armrest opens up to a decent amount of space.

Lexus nixes RC convertible in favor of LS-based 3-row crossover [w/poll]

When Lexus unveiled the LF-C2 concept at the LA Auto Show last week, it did two things: it previewed the direction in which the Japanese luxury automaker's design department was looking for the immediate future, and it previewed a cabrio version of the RC coupe (to replace the IS Convertible) on the other. But the latter, according to new reports, was ruled out before the concept ever took the stage. Although the prospect of a convertible version was engineered right into the RC coupe's chassis, Motor Trend reports that plans to put such a vehicle into production were met with hostility by Lexus dealers, who were offered a two-door convertible instead of the three-row crossover they've been lobbying for. As a result – and with a finite amount of development bucks on hand – Lexus is reportedly listening to its dealers, axing the RC Convertible program and proceeding instead with a seven-seat crossover. Plans to stretch the RX were reportedly ruled out, so Toyota is reportedly proceeding instead with a new model to be based on the LS sedan. The new model would take aim at the likes of the Mercedes GL, Audi Q7 and Infiniti QX60 when it arrives in three years as a 2018 model. It's not the first time we've seen Toyota listen to dealers asking for a high-end people-mover: Earlier this year, dealers in Japan asked the automaker for a luxed-out minivan, prompting it to build the Esquire van just for the Japanese Domestic Market.