Previews

Auto Express had their turn at the CT 200h Geneva display, and put together a video that shows plenty of interior footage:

The CT 200h’s door grip and handle design remind me a lot of the recently-released GX 460, which makes me wonder if this will be a shared design cue on new models.

Here are two videos of the Lexus CT 200h at the Geneva Auto Show Courtesy of CNET—The first features the site’s editor-at-large, with references made to auto start-stop technology and the sport mode, and was probably made before the CT 200h’s US sales announcement:

CNET UK also produced a similar video, with some unusual video effects at first, followed with some clear interior views and a demonstration of the power door-closers at the 0:47 mark:

(Thanks Seal!)

Autocar has published several additional studio photographs of the white Lexus CT 200h. Compared with computer-processed look of the first photos, these are different, and show the exterior lighting:

The forward shots showcase the CT 200h’s headlamp illumination, complete with LED strip accents similar to those introduced with the LS 460 refresh. These LED accents appear to continuously flow, although the frontal view contains hints of the dotted LED approach taken by Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The frontal view is also taken from a higher vantage point than this earlier photo, with the angle giving the CT 200h a more IS-like frontal stance and revealing the upswept corners of its headlights. The aft view reveal the LS-inspired rear lights with partial illumination, featuring the familiar L-shaped design accents.

The same photos were posted by Autocar affiliate What Car?, with an accompanying article noting the CT 200h’s emissions credentials:

Lexus’s trump card could well end up being the CT’s impressively low figures for other emissions – particulates, which have been linked with respiratory diseases, and NOx, a contributor to acid rain and climate change.

During the car’s lifetime, the EU will introduce tough new regulations limiting the output of both, and diesels will be able to meet the targets only with expensive filters and chemical treatments. The CT is almost there already.

[Sources: Autocar & What Car?]

Autoblog has posted their review of the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport, where they were pleasantly surprised by the sedan’s newfound sportiness:

Approaching the first tight turn along this curvy hillside ribbon of asphalt, we instinctively wanted to tap into the upgraded Brembos to scrub off some momentum. Expecting a fair amount of body roll, we planned our line accordingly, but amazingly, the LS – with its re-calibrated suspension, beefier stabilizer bars and uprated shocks – was well planted and barely bobbed to either side. We pushed a little harder into the next bend and the stately sedan just hunkered down and carved a perfect arc. This can’t be right.

As the road straightened out we were scratching our head trying to figure out what just happened. Is this Lexus actually fun to drive? Did these seemingly minor suspension changes really transform the LS from a perfectly wonderful boulevard cruiser to a genuine back road bomber?

These positive reviews of the LS Sport are very exciting—with no (reported) sacrifice in ride quality, a tasteful body kit, a handsome interior color scheme with beautiful matte wood, and all the performance upgrades, there doesn’t seem to be a single drawback to this package.

Best of all, this bodes well for the future of the Lexus’ flagship sedan—maybe these performance upgrades should be standard.

(I also recommend going through the photo gallery, great detail photos in there.)

[Source: Autoblog]

Autoblog has just published their first drive of the 2010 Lexus GX 460—here’s a excerpt of their impressions:

The engine feels strong on the road and the new six-speed transmission makes the most of that power. The cabin is quiet even when matting the throttle to the floor, and over the course of a 30-minute run down a blissfully traffic-free Southern California freeway, we never had to raise our voices to be heard. It’s sedan quiet and nearly sedan smooth.

The ranch route gave us a chance to try out the adjustable suspension settings, full-time four-wheel drive, crawl control feature and even the front and side wide-view cameras. The GX handled everything we threw at it with so much aplomb that we suddenly realized what this vehicle is all about…The fact that not many people will need to ford a stream or tackle a mud bog – let alone drop hay bales around their hilly 2,000 acre ranch – doesn’t negate the value of the GX 460.

Some other facts that jumped out: the current GX 470 currently holds a 25% share of the full-size luxury SUV market, and the entire 2009 US production allotment of the GX 470 were sold. This would explain the GX sales figures this year—there wasn’t enough supply.

(Perhaps the best part of Autoblog’s review is the photo gallery, some really nice detail photos.)

[Source:

< a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/09/2010-lexus-gx-460-first-drive/">

Autoblog]

I wanted to wait a little while after the Lexus GX 460’s introduction before weighing in with my own impressions of the SUV, which I had a chance to see for myself at a Lexus Canada sneak peek dinner a couple weeks ago.

Much like the RX redesign, the new GX is a more masculine retelling of the model it replaces. The first generation GX had a fidgety look, too tall and skinny for my taste, so this lowered and aggressive redesign hits all the right notes. It has that same “larger-than-life” feeling that the LX 570 gives off.

There are minor issues with the exterior design—the front bumper air intakes are too prominent and the rear lights have an ordinary look—but I love the bold wheel arches and the entire side profile. I even like the front HID headlight design and its symmetry with the fog-lights.

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