2006 Lexus RX400h Hybrid - Automobile Magazine

From today's half-dozen cars and trucks that use gasoline and electricity for propulsion, the hybrid fleet is expected to rise to fifty models and more than a million sales by 2010. Even Porsche plans to offer one. The 2006 Lexus RX400h shows that Toyota is forging a hybrid path for the world to follow. Armed with a premium-brand aura, more than 400 hp, and a price in the mid-$40,000s range, this hybrid ventures beyond tree huggers. The main propulsion source is a 3. 3-liter DOHC V-6 altered slightly from the RX330 configuration to produce 208 hp. Three electric motors pitch in on cue. One sends a supplementary 165 hp to the front wheels, and another can provide 67 hp to the rear wheels (and thus imbues the RX400h with all-wheel drive). A third motor starts the gasoline engine (which shuts down at stoplights), regulates the continuously variable transmission's ratios, and generates electricity for recharging batteries and energizing the other two electric motors. Press the pedal to engage the full piston-electric team, and you're whisked to 60 mph in 7. 2 seconds, only 0. 7 second slower than a Cadillac SRX V-8. Despite carrying 300 extra pounds versus an RX330, passing acceleration is smoother, because... The sound track is the soft growl of internal combustion, muted as usual by Lexus, with added accompaniment. Source: www.automobilemag.com