Performance compromised? Hell no!

The first time you put yourself in the luxurious seat of the Lexus GS450h, the only thing that will give any indication to the car’s green credentials is the deafening silence of its petrol/electric hybrid engine upon ignition.

Without that “ready” light in the display cluster, you would be hard pressed to know the car is, well, “ready” to go.

It’s small change from most cars, yet simultaneously a monumentally huge step in the evolution of the automobile of the future. That silence is but the first indication of the car’s electric personality.

“Hybrid? Really?” I hear you ask. Don’t let your experience with the similarly engineered Toyota Prius discourage you. While they may share some mechanical DNA, the GS450h is surely a majestic timber wolf to the Prius’s homely beagle. The two cars could not be more different.

The Lexus does not give you much indication that it is a hybrid car. The genius engineers created a luxury sedan with the performance of a rear-wheel drive V8. In fact, performance-wise, the car is superior to its all-petrol sibling – the GS300.

It’s not what you would expect from electric cars, but the truth is, electric cars have come a long way since the milk wagons from yesteryear.

So confident are the Lexus engineers of the car’s tar-munching engine that they have seen fit to include a few electronic aides to keep the less skilled drivers on the road.

The expected ABS brakes and ESP (electronic stabilisation programme) are in place, but the GS also includes a variable suspension setting for the sporty-orientated, and power mode to give the added grunt.

Controlling all that power is a CVT (continuously variable transmission) gearbox. Without getting too technical, this gearbox allows for an incredibly smooth increase in speed with the “skedonk” thud sometimes felt on other automatic transmissions.

As far as the car’s interior is concerned, all creature comforts have been considered and catered for. Electronic seat warmers, climate control, CD/DVD entertainment unit... pretty much everything you can think of.

Of special note is the car’s GPS system, which has to be one of the most agreeable and user-friendly systems I have had the pleasure of using. It is incredibly comprehensive, going so far as to list popular restaurants (categorised down to the menu theme, Italian, French etc.) with their contact details – which, of course, can be contacted immediately thanks to the Bluetooth pairing of your cell phone to the car.

Visually, the GS450h is striking. It’s a beautiful car, perhaps not as memorable as some of the luxury sedans produced by the Germans, but certainly enough to be remembered.

The car’s only real failing is the faux wood panelling in its interior design. If you are not planning to put in real wood, then rather don’t put in any wood. It only serves to cheapen the entire décor.

And it has to be mentioned, as praiseworthy as the car is, that the service offered by the Lexus team when delivering the car is of an equally praiseworthy nature. Most dealerships simply give you your key and then you’re off.

The kind staff at Lexus made a sincere effort to make the delivery of the vehicle as enjoyable an experience as possible. Thank you, gentlemen.

It must be said that the GS450h is one of the finest automobiles I have had the pleasure of driving; a car that takes responsibility for its environmental impact, without compromising any of the things one would expect from a car of its class. Truly excellent. ▲

Zaid Kriel

• 01/07/2009 14:26 - A greener way of life