Autocar is reporting that the Lexus CT 200h will not offered in a coupe or estate/wagon version:
The new hybrid, being shown as a production car for the first time, will not be sold in sufficient numbers to justify a coupé or estate version, according to Toyota Europe boss Didier Leroy.
However, the article does mention a high-performance edition along with a possible plug-in hybrid for 2012, which fits in with an earlier Autoguide story:
Lexus College manager Paul Williamsen went out of his way to point out that the current battery pack located in the rear of the CT doesn’t take up all of the space. The larger area, “could ‘theoretically’ be used to put a larger battery pack with increased capacity,” he said.
This news coincides with previous reports that Lexus has also filed for [trademarks] on the CT300h and CT400h names.
In addition, Osamu Sadakata, Chief engineer for Lexus hybrid vehicles told media present that both a plug-in hybrid version of the CT200h as well as a version using a more efficient and compact lithium-ion battery pack are possible.
The sense that I get is that the CT 200h 1.8L engine is a first step, meant to establish the CT in the marketplace at a reasonable price-point, and after a year or two, we’ll see something more powerful (and expensive).
As for the plug-in hybrid, it’s likely only a matter of time until Lexus steps into the PHEV game, and as the smallest model in the line-up, the CT is a safe bet. Time will tell.
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