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Lexus has been teasing us with tasty bits of info about its new CT200h hybrid hatchback and has finally revealed the details everyone really wants to know. Aimed at younger buyers, performance is sure to be an important selling factor. That being said, it's at least a little disappointing that the CT only gets a total of 134-hp – just like the Prius. In fact, it uses the same hybrid drivetrain with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine making 98-hp, mated to an 80-hp electric motor. That's enough, says Lexus, for a 0-60 mph time of 9.8 seconds. Again, hardly exciting.
Perhaps more importantly in this segment is the fact that the CT200h gets a combined rating of 42-mpg. That's several mpgs less than the Prius, so we're interested to learn from Toyota why exactly that is.
Drivers will be able to control the engine's performance thanks to a drive model selector that includes an EV, ECO, NORMAL and SPORT mode, with the ECO mode allowing for emissions free travel of up to a mile at speeds of up to 28 mph.
But there's more to the CT than just its drivetrain, with Lexus claiming it wants the car to be a benchmark for handling in its segment, competing with cars like the BMW 1 Series hatch and Audi A3. In fact, in Sport mode, the CT gets more responsive steering and throttle response, while the suspension also firms up.
Be sure to check back in the coming weeks for AutoGuide's review of the new CT200h.
More: Lexus CT200h Gets 134-HP, 42-MPG Average on AutoGuide.com
