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2004 North American International Auto Show
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| Lexus GS and RX400h |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:36:08 |
| Rating |
 84 ( -10 -11.9% ) | | Author | Brian Chee |
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Description:
Lexus has the tiger by the tail, and loves every minute of it -- the tiger being the US luxury market,
perhaps the most hotly contested segment in North America. Luxury auto buyers do not suffer fools easily, and inferior vehicles even less so. The baseline is refinement, for these shoppers, refinement and excellence - a car that runs great is simply not enough, not for the money they spend on the cars they drive.
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Features
Debuts
Vehicles introduced
Day One
Initial debuts
Day Two
Show overview
2004 North American Car
and Truck
Ford F-150
Toyota Prius
The Lucky Three
Our Best Bets for Success
Vehicle Debuts
Aston Martin
DB9 Coupe and DB9 Volante
BMW
645ci convertible
Chrysler
Slingshot and ME
300C
PT Cruiser & Crossfire convertibles
Dodge
Magnum
Ford
Here come the cars
General Motors
Vette, Solstice and Kappa
Pontiac G6
Honda
Cool dads and the SUT
Infiniti
QX56 and a special G35
Jaguar
S-Type
Jeep
Wrangler Unlimited
Land Rover
Range Stormer
Lexus
A new GS and the RX400h
Mercedes
SLR McLaren, Grand Sports Tourer II
Nissan
A new Pathfinder, Frontier and a concept crossover
Scion
A new tC
Toyota
Hybrid Highlander and the FTX Super Truck
Suzuki
Reno
Volkswagen
Concept T and a pocket rocket Golf R32
Volvo
S40
Luxury automakers must do more. Which is what Lexus has made a habit of doing. Forget the fading IS line; that will be re-done soon enough. At the 2004 North American International Auto Show, Lexus showed that they often have an answer - even before the question is asked. In this case, the question - will luxury buyers be attracted to a hybrid vehicle - was answered by the 2005 RX400h, and there was little doubt that it will sell as many as they feel inclined to build. Technically the world's first hybrid SUV, the RX400h is a RX330 with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. The engineers at Toyota have managed to build a drive system that improves performance, adds only 230 lbs and will significantly increase fuel economy. The system that runs that RX400h is different than the one that drove Prius to its success - the battery power, for example, is twice that of the battery that powers Prius. "It's not just about being green or more fuel efficient," said Denny Clements, Lexus group vice president and general manager. "It's about offering the total package." The RX400h will also be the first vehicle to have the upgraded Vehicle Dynamic Management (VDM) system, an improved vehicle control system that will anticipate the onset of a skid or slide. Lexus estimates that the RX400h will generate about 270 horsepower, and that the EPA emissions rating will be SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle). The design of the RX400h will be very similar to the RX330, except for brushed aluminum interior highlights and a slightly styled nose. According to Clements, the RX400h should comprise 20% of the RX330 market. "We'll let the market decide," said Clements "But we know that dealers have already taken a huge number of orders for the RX400h."
Lexus also debuted the 2006 GS430 at the Show - a slooping, soaring vehicle that looks in motion even as it stands still. Judging from the sleek, futuristic styling of the roofline, it seems as though the GS was inspired in part by the Prius - and it would not be a surprise to see future Lexus, Toyota and Scion (see the new tC) vehicles share the same Prius-led change in design. The GS, which is in its third generation, includes All Wheel Drive (AWD) for the first time in any Lexus car, the aforementioned VDM system and a new 245 horsepower V6 engine. All GS engines will be mated to a new 6-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting. Additional technology available in he new GS will be a pre-collision system, a supplemental restraint system, an adaptive front lighting system and a tire pressure monitoring system.
2004 Auto Show Gallery
More Show Photos...
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