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Lexus LC 500h | Autoblog's 2018 Technology of the Year winner

Each year, we here at Autoblog review and test hundreds of cars from dozens of automakers, but only a few show the kind of technological advancement (whether that's infotainment, active safety features, advanced engine or transmission designs, or novel suspension) required to compete in the Technology of the Year award process. We award an automaker for bringing to the market features, components or an entire vehicle that we feel pushes the industry forward and sets the stage for things to come. For 2018, the Autoblog Technology of the Year award goes to the Lexus LC 500h and its Multi-Stage Hybrid System. For years, hybrids have sacrificed engaging dynamics in favor of improved efficiency. A few high-end models bucked that trend, but nothing truly mainstream felt quite right. Lexus' Multi-Stage Hybrid System is different, marrying an e-CVT that has six virtual gears to a conventional four-speed automatic, resulting in 10 effective ratios. It's as complicated as it sounds, though in practice the difference between it and a standard automatic is nigh imperceptible. You get the benefits of a hybrid — fuel efficiency, part-time all-electric driving — without sacrificing driver enjoyment, all packaged inside a stunning, fun-to-drive grand tourer. We feel the new hybrid system really gives the LC 500h a leg up on the competition, particularly because it pairs long-distance comfort, high performance, and efficiency in a way we feel will really resonate with consumers (and competing automakers, too). Our editors were impressed by just how well the LC 500h passed off duties between the internal-combustion engine and the electric motors, the only real tell that it was in EV mode being the tachometer needle resting at zero. And the regular Lexus LC 500 is also a wonderful car. It's also a step forward for Lexus as a whole. For years, the Japanese automaker was known for solid luxury vehicles that were sedate to a fault. The LFA was a worthy halo car, but it was also basically unattainable to an average well-off buyer. The F performance vehicles (IS F, GS F, and RC F) gave a much-needed kick to the brand but were a bit rowdy and rough around the edges. The LC 500h strikes a more perfect balance that feels truer to Lexus' brand values: It's quiet without being boring, and exciting without offending. It's also green without punishing the driver for it. Lexus paid great care to get the balance of this car right.

2019 Lexus ES300h has a quiet and comfortable interior

The 2019 Lexus ES is the latest version of the japanese luxury automaker's best-selling sedan. The car is based on Toyota's TNGA platform, the same basis for the new Toyota Camry and Toyota Avalon. The ES is available with both V6 and hybrid powertrains, with the latter rated at 43 mpg city, 45 mpg highway, and 44 mpg combined. Pricing was announced earlier this week, with a starting price of $40,525, just $550 more than the outgoing model. The car's interior and exterior design is all new, taking cues from both the Lexus LS and Lexus LC, the latter of which won our Technology of the Year award. The interior is both stylish and comfortable and packs a design that feels very Japanese. Watch the videos above for a brief design walk around and take a listen to the quiet hybrid powertrain.

2021 Lexus NX 300 and NX 300h stick to the formula

After placing the limited-run NX 300h F Sport Black Line Special Edition at the top of the range, Lexus has announced few changes for the rest of the NX lineup going into 2021. For its sixth year on the market, on the exterior of the compact luxury crossover, Blue Vortex Metallic slips off the color wheel, replaced by Nori Green Pearl. The deep forest hue dazzled recently on the 2020 Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series. Less visible to outsiders, NX models get low-profile windshield wiper blades, and power-folding, auto-dimming, reverse-tilt mirrors. Revisions to the standard interior have been confined to a revised horn pad, and a slightly different red zone on the tachometer, but Lexus didn't clarify what that last point means. Among the feature set, every NX will include blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert in the driver safety technology that's grouped under the Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 banner. Turning to the options sheet, ordering the Navigation package will include the HomeLink garage door opening system, and the Mark Levinson audio system comes with an updated amplifier.   After that, what we're already familiar with from the NX lineup carries on. That means three trims, the NX 300, NX 300 F Sport, and NX 300h, plus the NX 300h F Sport Black Line until they're all sold. Engine choices are a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque on the non-hybrid models, and a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine in the NX 300h that works with three electric motors to produce a total combined output of 194 horsepower. The non-hybrid NX trims get a six-speed transmission, the hybrid employs a CVT. Related Video: