All About Japan Autos

Daily Auto News

For most of the last year, we’ve been hearing rumors that Toyota was developing a Prius-like hybrid-only sedan for its Lexus brand. Now, we’re hearing that the car has been named, and will make its public debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show.

The Lexus HS250H, according to Left Lane News, “will feature an onboard computer system similar to BMW’s iDrive, LED lights and plenty of luxury amenities.”

Motor Authority says the car “will feature the same 2.4L petrol-electric powertrain as the current Toyota Camry Hybrid,” and “won’t go on sale until sometime in 2011.” The Camry Hybrid manages an EPA rating of 33/34mpg, but the HS250H would be a much smaller and lighter car, almost certain to come closer to the Prius’s current rating of 45/48 mpg.

Hybridcars.com notes that “A newly published rendering from Japan’s Mag-X magazine, an enthusiast publication, provides clues” as to the car’s appearance. “The drawing reveals a well-proportioned four-door car with Prius-like lines and angles-especially the front slope of its windshield and hood-while retaining design cues which are unmistakably Lexus, most notably the back-end and taillight styling.”

The car would enter a more crowded hybrid market, with the Honda Insight and a new Prius on the way, as well as possibly the Chevy Volt. But a luxury-badged dedicated hybrid, as opposed to hybrid models of conventional cars, might have a status edge over those models for some buyers.

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