2021 Lexus Rx 350l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lexus RZ battery electric crossover teased

Lexus has dropped a teaser video glimpsing the brand's first fully electric vehicle to be sold in the U.S. Called the Lexus RZ, it features the angular styling we've come to expect from Toyota's luxury marque, but underneath the sheetmetal we're probably getting a foundation we've seen quite a bit of in recent weeks. That's because the Lexus RZ is a third version of the battery-electric crossover co-developed by Toyota and Subaru, recently unveiled as the confusingly named Toyota bZ4X (it always requires a double check of the alphanumeric sequence) and the much better named Subaru Solterra. All three are built on the e-TNGA platform that will underpin several EV models. However, the Lexus RZ signals a more significant departure from the bZ4X and Solterra, whose differences were quite limited. They looked almost indistinguishable, the only things setting them apart being a mild reshape of the front fasica and taillights, painted wheel arch cladding on the Toyota, and an option for a single-motor 2WD drivetrain on the bZ4X. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Lexus, on the other hand, seems to wear completely new sheetmetal. Right away, the lack of gray cladding around the wheel wells is apparent. There still appears to be some, but much slimmer than that of the bZ4X and Solterra. A strong character line flows from the leading edge of the front wheel arch to the rear door, where it's picked by another upturned character line leading into a blacked out C-pillar. Naturally, the front features a large Lexus spindle grille shape (there doesn't appear to be an actual open radiator intake, unnecessary for an EV) and unique headlights branded with "L" fishhook DRLs. The rear offers a much sleeker appearance as well, with slim taillights that don't droop downward into the bodywork. A solid light bar features the word "Lexus" printed across rather than the traditional L-in-a-circle logo. No details or interior images were shown, but we'd guess that the cabin is quite a bit nicer than the decent but run-of-the-mill cockpit of the bZ4X and Solterra. Lexus has stated it will not offer the single-motor option. However, its Direct4 all-wheel-drive system is a departure from Subaru's, and the Lexus is said to be capable of 402 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Those figures completely blow the bZ4X and Solterra out of the water.

The greenest cars of 2024: Vehicles that use the least fuel and cost less to operate

All-electric vehicles may make headlines for environmental friendliness and fuel efficiency, but the “greenest” car in America in 2024 has a gasoline engine. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's annual GreenerCars ratings of the most environmentally friendly cars, the latest Toyota Prius Prime SE plug-in hybrid tops the list of greenest cars, although it's something of an anomaly, because battery-electric EVs follow it in spots two to five. Of the top 10 vehicles in the ratings, six are electric and four are hybrids: Rank Make & Model Powertrain Green Score MSRP Estimated Annual Fuel Cost* 1 Toyota Prius Prime SE PHEV 71 $32,975 $529 2 Lexus RZ 300e EV 67 $55,150 $651 3 Mini Cooper SE EV 67 $30,900 $747 4 Nissan Leaf EV 66 $28,140 $741 5 Toyota bZ4X EV 66 $43,070 $689 6 Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV 64 $43,690 $741 7 Hyundai Elantra Blue Gas Hybrid 64 $26,250 $864 8 Hyundai Kona Electric EV 63 $34,050 $695 9 Toyota Camry LE Gas Hybrid 63 $28,855 $907 10 Kia EV6 EV 63 $43,975 $689 11 Toyota Corolla Gas Hybrid 62 $23,500 $944 12 Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV 62 $41,650 $737 *ACEEE analysis using EIA data of annual cost—from gasoline, electricity, or a combination—of driving 15,000 miles The ACEEE also compiled two other vehicle rankings: the so-called “Greener Choices” and the “Meanest List.” The Greener Choices list includes a variety of high-scoring conventional vehicles, and the Meanest List identifies the worst-performing mass-market models. Finishing first in the “greener” list — which the organization says is about cars “available nationwide with among the lowest environmental impacts” — is the Honda Accord Hybrid. As far as the “worst-performing mass market” vehicle, that dubious distinction goes to the $184,000 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63. “ItÂ’s important for automakers to keep expanding affordable EV options rapidly so that the benefits of EVs are available to drivers across a wider spectrum of incomes as we transition away from cars that burn gasoline,” said Peter Huether, ACEEEÂ’s senior transportation research associate and lead researcher for the GreenerCars rankings. “For drivers whose needs are not met by todayÂ’s charging infrastructure, many efficient and affordable hybrid options are available.” Just over half the cars on the 2024 Greenest List start at under $35,000, including four EVs and three gas hybrids.

Lexus NX debuts in turbocharged and hybrid guise

Lexus showed off its polarizing new NX at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show, trotting out both the turbocharged 200t model (Lexus' first production turbo) alongside the hybrid-powered 300h.
We still don't know a great deal about the turbocharged model, aside from the fact that the engine underhood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, although we're hoping to get details sooner rather than later. For reference, the 2.0-liter turbo in the BMW X1 pumps out 240 horsepower while the four-pot turbo in the Mercedes-Benz GLA250 turns out 208 horsepower, which leads us to think we should expect the Lexus to fall somewhere between these two figures.
If Lexus' naming strategy in the past rings true here, though, we can confidently say the 300h will use a 2.5-liter four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery, just like the Lexus ES300h and Toyota Avalon Hybrid. That should mean around 200 system horsepower and well over 30 miles per gallon, although it's probably too early to predict economy with any degree of certainty.