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Lexus reveals spindly CT 200h facelift ahead of Chinese debut

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. So goes the saying, and Lexus seems to be taking it to heart. In addition to the hybrid versions of the Japanese luxury marque's conventional cars, Lexus is intent on offering a dedicated luxury hybrid. The original HS 250h failed to gain traction, so to speak, in the marketplace, and was quickly withdrawn from just about every market but Japan's. Lexus followed up with the CT 200h, exclusively packaging a hybrid powertrain into a premium hatchback form, but while it's been more successful than its predecessor, there's still room for improvement.
That's what Toyota and its premium division are going for with a slightly refreshed take on the CT. Spied completely undisguised (and in F-Sport guise) less than a month ago, the facelifted CT 200h is now confirmed for debut not at the LA Auto Show or the Tokyo Motor Show but at the Guangzhou Motor Show that's set to take place at the same time in China.
Although Lexus hasn't revealed much in the way of details and only two images, it's plain to see that what we're looking at is a mildly refreshed version of the existing CT 200h. The front end is now dominated by the spindle grille that adorns the rest of the Lexus range, flanked by reshaped headlamps. The rear end has been updated as well, but whether the cosmetic changes are joined by any mechanical ones - or, for that matter, if the changes made will be enough to put the hybrid hatchback ahead in the sales curve - remains to be seen.

Recharge Wrap-up: Grimsel electric car breaks acceleration world record, electric Ford Raptor ATV debuts

An all-electric version of the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is now available... as an ATV. Made by Caddyshack Golf Cars, it features officially licensed Ford badging borrowed from the super-macho pickup. It has a lifted chassis with leaf springs in the front and rear, hydraulic shocks and off-road tires. Powered by a 48-volt motor, it can do 0-25 mph in 2.9 seconds. Range is an estimated 30 miles - plenty to get you through 18 of the most rugged holes of golf you've ever played. Caddyshack also offers other miniature electric Fords, including a Shelby GT500, Shelby Cobra and 50th Anniversary Mustang. Read more at Green Car Reports. Lexus takes a crack at the BMW i3 in a new video from Funny or Die. In the decidedly anti-EV film, a group of guys drives to Las Vegas for a "dad-chelor party" in a Lexus CT 200h and a BMW i3. The Lexus hybrid makes it to Sin City without any problems, while the BMW's occupants need to make several lengthy stops to charge along the way, missing much of the fun. The video lampoons the inherent range limitations of the EV (the BMW group ends up driving slowly through the desert with no AC or radio to save energy), all in a well produced, if somewhat misguided, short comedy film. Perhaps they should have considered the i3 with a range extender? See the video below, or read more at Green Car Reports. Students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University have set a new EV acceleration world record. Their "Grimsel" racing car was able to zoom from 0-100 kph (0-62.137 mph) in just 1.785 seconds in less than 30 meters (98.425 feet), crushing the previous record of 2.134 seconds. Even more impressive is that the Grimsel was built by the students themselves, as part of the Formula Student team at the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich. The car weighs just 370 pounds and provides 200 horsepower and 1,202 pound feet of torque from the four hub motors. The Grimsel uses traction control to manage torque for maximum acceleration. See the record acceleration run in the videos below or read more at Gizmag, at Electric Autosport or in the press release from ETH Zurich below. 'grimsel' breaks world record The 'grimsel' electric racing car today broke the previous world record for acceleration in electric cars. The vehicle accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.785 seconds in under 30 metres. The new record was set by students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, who also designed and built the vehicle.

2022 Lexus NX First Drive Review | Believe us, it really is all new

The 2022 Lexus NX is at once a safe evolution of the product it replaces and a significant redesign with long-lasting implications. Its dimensions and styling are so similar to the outgoing NX that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's merely a mid-cycle refresh, but indeed, it's a ground-up re-do based on new underpinnings. Sure, they're shared with every front-wheel-drive Toyota group product introduced in the past four years, but then, that's part of the "safe evolution" bit.  Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with such an approach to a new model. Although the NX has never been considered a class leader since it was introduced for 2015, it nevertheless enjoyed strong sales – you know, just like the Lexus ES, RX and name-a-Toyota – vehicles that car enthusiasts might scoff at but everyone else appreciates for their build quality, dependability, resale value and general competence.  Although, if we're talking competence, it's at least worth pointing out one element of the Lexus formula that all those loyal buyers have somehow been putting up with: the Remote Touch tech interface and the infernal touchpad that's been in use, with a few exceptions, in every Lexus since it debuted in Â… that's right, the original NX. And here's where the long-lasting implications of the all-new 2022 NX come in: Remote Touch is gone and in its place the new "Human Machine Interface" touchscreen infotainment system will be making its way through the brand. This is a very big deal, because it means a very real and annoying reason for not buying a Lexus is about to go away Â… and isn't present at all in the new NX.  That said, the new touchscreen not only represents the most important change and improvement to the NX, but the most significant missed opportunity. WeÂ’ll cover that in-depth in a followup infotainment review, but in short, the system thinks too highly of voice commands and could really use the ability to show multiple sources of information at once. Otherwise, the two available touchscreens (a base 9.6-inch unit and a 14-inch widescreen upgrade) feature a UI that's quicker, prettier and easier to use. I was able to jump into the new NX and quickly figure it all out, which definitely can't be said of other luxury systems that continue to perplex after multiple uses, including MercedesÂ’ MBUX and Remote Touch. Those trims with the 14-inch screen also pair with a unique set of steering wheel buttons.