In a surprise move, a senior Lexus UK executive has verified that a second GS hybrid is on its way — here’s a quote from MSN Cars UK:
President and Managing Director of Toyota Lexus GB, Jon Williams, confirmed the new “low displacement” GS hybrid during a press conference at the European launch of the fourth-generation car.
Although he refused to reveal exactly what engine would power the lesser hybrid, it would certainly be smaller than the 3.5-litre V6 of the GS450h, and possibly even smaller than the 2.5-litre V6 of the GS250 – relying on the electric motor to make up the resulting power deficit.
Expect more details perhaps as early as the Paris Motor Show in September. There remain no plans for a GS turbodiesel.
While no engine details were given, it’s worth noting that the GS 300h trademark was registered in Australia earlier this year, which would suggest the 2.5L 2AR-FXE four-cylinder engine from the ES 300h.
Also from the same article:
Lexus has also confirmed two entirely new cars are in the pipeline. One of these will be an all-new IS replacement, but the other is currently a mystery. A smaller SUV model to compliment the RX is one possibility, but we’re hoping for a production version of the stunning LF-LC sports car.
While the timing is purely coincidental, this mention of a “smaller SUV model” syncs up nicely the rendering featured last week — could we finally see the debut of a Lexus compact crossover SUV?
[Source: MSN Cars UK] (Thanks Wooski!)
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