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A replacement for the Lexus CT 200h is due to arrive in 2021

On the hunt for a reasonably priced gas-electric hybrid-powered compact, but want something a little nicer than the oddity that is the Toyota Prius? You probably remembered that Lexus made the CT 200h. That's made, as in the Prius platform mate was discontinued in 2017. But word on the street is that Lexus is working on a replacement, according to Autocar in the UK. The outlet spoke to Lexus Europe's head honcho, Pascal Ruch, at the Geneva Motor Show recently, who shed some light on the matter. According to the report, a new CT 200h is set to arrive sometime in 2021 and will be built on Toyota's latest TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) modular platform. TNGA these days underpins a majority of Toyota's current models, from the new Camry, to the new Corolla, the current Prius, and even the new RAV4 and Highlander. But what isn't so clear is whether the CT 200h will keep its hatchback body style. A few years ago, we even heard the CT 200h could be replaced by a hybrid crossover. But nothing's confirmed. The original CT 200h used Toyota's old "New MC Platform." When new at the time, it underpinned many models from the third-generation Toyota Prius and Prius V, to the last Scion tC, Scion xB, the outgoing Toyota Corolla, the previous Toyota RAV4, and many other JDM-specification Toyota models. The CT 200h also pretty much utilized the same 1.8-liter 2ZR-FXE inline-four and electric motor hybrid powertrain as the Prius. It also produced the same total 134 horsepower and 153 pound-feet of torque. Despite being discontinued in the U.S. two years ago, Lexus continued with the CT 200h in Europe, where it sold, but modestly. And despite not being too hot of a seller here stateside as well, Lexus is adamant about keeping it in the portfolio as the automaker continues to push for more fuel-efficient hybrid models. Over the long-term, Lexus plan hopes to boost its global market share of hybrids to 50%. "Europe has a great strategic importance for Lexus because it's seen as a leading region for technology and design," Ruch told Autocar in its interview. "Our hybrid sales are highest in Europe, China and Japan will electrify [internal combustion engines] and the wider U.S.

Pontiac Aztek enjoys rebirth thanks to Millennials

Apparently, Millennials – those between 18 and 34 – aren't afraid to look different on the road, and they like performance, too. A new study by Edmunds is discovering some surprising vehicle choices by this group. Among them, the long-derided Pontiac Aztek is getting a new day in the sun with 25.5 percent its buyers coming from this generation in the first half of 2015. For comparison, Millennials represent an average of 16.8 percent of used car purchases. The Aztek is slowly shaking its reputation as a styling abomination, which seems tied to its appearance on Breaking Bad. The show premiered in 2008, and the Pontiac has been on this list for four of the past five years, according to Edmunds. It even led the pack in 2010. A recent Retro Review from MotorWeek also showed that the crossover wasn't always so hated. While it's still a shock to see the Aztek on any popularity list, the awkward-looking crossover only ranks sixth among Millennials. The vehicle with the biggest portion of buyers from the generation is the Dodge Magnum with 27.6 percent. According to Edmunds, the bluntly styled wagon is especially popular in Detroit and Chicago. The Chrysler Pacifica comes in a close second at 27.3 percent. When it comes to used cars, value and utility appear to trump just about anything else for many Millennial buyers," Edmunds analyst Jeremy Acevedo said in the report. Young buyers aren't afraid of sporty rides, either. The Subaru WRX has 26.4 percent Millennial buyers to rank third place on the list, and the Volkswagen R32 takes fifth at 25.7 percent. Just a few points lower in seventh place is the Nissan GT-R at 25.4 percent, and the final performance machine in 10th place is the Lexus IS-F with 24.7 percent. Related Video:

Toyota Mirai, Lexus LS show off Advanced Drive assists with OTA updates, AI

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp unveiled on Thursday new models of Lexus and Mirai in Japan, equipped with advanced driver assistance, as competition heats up to develop more self-driving and connected cars. Toyota's latest launch comes as automakers, electric car startups and tech giants invest heavily in so-called active safety features. The Japanese carmaker's new driving assist technology, or Advanced Drive, features a level 2 autonomous system that helps driving, such as limiting the car in its lane, maintaining the distance from other vehicles and changing lanes under the driver's supervision on expressways or other motor-vehicle-only roads. The system can even handle lane merges, and when passing trucks its lane system will move the car further to the opposite side of its lane. The car will recommend a course of action to a driver before executing it. The system also features a camera to monitor the driver's actions and level of attentiveness, and if the driver seems unresponsive or incapacitated, the car will pull itself over. The luxury sedan Lexus LS will be on sale from Thursday, costing between about 16.3 million yen ($148,600) and 17.9 million yen ($164,000), while the second-generation Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car will be offered on April 12 at between 8.4 million ($76,900) and 8.6 million yen ($78,750). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The new models are Toyota's first products brought to the market that provide over-the-air updates and utilize AI technology centered on deep learning, said Toyota executive James Kuffner, who is also the head of Toyota's research unit Woven Planet. "This is really an important first step in our journey towards software-first development," he said at an online briefing on Thursday, adding that the company has tried to design the software to be truly global and to provide re-usability. In the future, software features on cars will be "upgradable" and "more customizable" much like how people personalize their smartphones, Kuffner added. Fully self-driven cars are still likely to be years away, but rival General Motors early this year made a splash at the virtual Consumer Electronics Show with a fully-autonomous all-electric flying Cadillac concept, while Chinese search engine operator Baidu unveiled a partnership with local car brand Geely.