Lexus GS 450h Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Sedan

As we’re driving along and getting to know the new 2007 Lexus GS 450h, a nagging thought occurs to us: The top model in the GS line, this gasoline-electric hybrid sedan is luxurious, sporty, and dare we say… fast. Are hybrids supposed to be this much fun? Well, who knows. In the Zen sense…maybe not. Hybrids are all about environment, right? But this car offers higher fuel economy, extremely low emissions, and a driving experience one could only describe as “spirited.” From Lexus’ point of view, this car offers everything. We tend to agree.

Our drive is uneventful, as drives go. There is no traffic to speak of, just welcoming open roads and plenty of gas in the tank. We can go anywhere, and for a long time since the GS 450h’s combined 28 mpg fuel economy and 17.2 gallon fuel tank provide well over 400 miles of driving range.

Cruising along solely on the power of this luxury sedan’s 292 horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 provides everything one could want. But when bursts of acceleration are needed for passing or merging into traffic, the blended power of this car’s 197 horsepower rear-drive electric motor presses you back in the seat and makes for abundant acceleration. Electric motors are different from internal combustion engines because they provide 100 percent torque from near zero rpm, and you can feel it.

While the rear motor provides power on demand and generates electricity to recharge the car’s batteries during coasting and braking, a front 180 horsepower motor-generator functions as the sedan’s primary generator and engine starter. All of this works seamlessly with the internal combustion engine to provide a driving experience that seems ever-so-normal, which is just how Lexus wants it.

There’s a lot to like about this car, from high levels of comfort and performance to the ways in which Lexus seamlessly melds advanced technology with its signature luxury feel, like the wireless SmartAccess system that allows opening and starting the car without a key. A driver is surrounded by leather and wood, faces smart-looking analog instruments, and commands a car that responds with authority. With all this and higher fuel efficiency, the GS 450h may well be a formidable template for the car of the future.