The new Lexus RX 450H will officially make its European Debut at the Geneva Motor Show which will reportedly become available this summer. The Lexus RX 450h has made headlines for its impressive fuel economy and reduced environmental impact as it possesses the performance figures that outpace the majority of other SUV/crossovers within its segment.

The RX 450h emits just 0.53 lbs of CO2 emissions per mile driven, which remains significantly lower than many other vehicles. Combined fuel economy stands at 44.8 mpg, which is a 28% increase over the older RX 400h.

Powering the RX 450h is a series/parallel hybrid system which links a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with two powerful electric motors. The RX 450h uses an “intelligent” four-wheel drive system, and total power output is rated at 295 hp. The 0 to 62 mph time measures at 7.8 seconds, and the top speed registers at 124 mph.

(Source) Truck Trend

Tags: four wheel drive, geneva motor show, hybrid system, Lexus, lexus rx, rx 400h, wheel drive system

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Purchasing used cars is the trend these days as consumers try to save on spending for high-cost new cars. And Consumer Reports breaks down the wise used car investments per category as it identifies the most and least reliable used cars for 10 years – from model years 1999 to 2008 – in the magazine’s 2009 Annual Auto Issue.

Reliability data was compiled from the magazine’s Annual Auto Survey, which generated responses about more than 1.4 million new and used vehicles.

Below are Consumer Reports’ picks in five categories:

Small Cars: Honda Civic, Toyota Echo, Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Mazda 3, Mazda Protege, Subaru Impreza

Family Cars: Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Toyota Camry (except ‘08 V6), Subaru Outback (6-cyl.), Nissan Altima

Minivans: Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey

Small SUVs: Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander

Midsized and large SUVs: Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota 4Runner, Infiniti FX35, Acura MDX, Infiniti QX4, Lexus GX, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subaru Tribeca, Nissan Xterra (’05 – ‘08), Toyota Sequoia

To help consumers identify cars within their budget, Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Issue also contains a “Models to Look For” list, which is categorized by price. It features a variety of used vehicles which all have above-average reliability and are priced from less than $4,000 to $30,000 and up. CR found 19 cars that can be purchased for $6,000 or less including the 1999 Acura CL and the 2003 Buick Century.

(Source) Press

Tags: acura mdx, corolla toyota, honda cr v, honda odyssey, hyundai santa fe, infiniti fx35, infiniti qx4, land cruiser toyota, lexus rx, nissan altima, nissan xterra, pontiac vibe, subaru forester, subaru impreza, subaru outback, subaru tribeca, toyota land cruiser, toyota sequoia

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It looks like Nissan is aiming to give the Lexus a run for its money as far as new hybrids to be launched in the market is concerned. In preparation for 2010, Nissan has started to map out plans for a new hybrid car via the Infiniti line-up.

Infiniti dealers are pushing hard for another entry into the same near luxury segment where the G37 already competes along with another luxury crossover model. It seems that the EX, the automaker’s latest CUV, is not selling up to expectations against rivals such as the Lexus RX-series due to its limited utility.

On the green front, Infiniti is also said to have a hybrid on the way for 2010.

(Source) AutoBlog

Tags: automaker, Crossover, hybrid car, hybrids, infiniti dealers, Lexus, lexus rx, luxury segment, Nissan, nissan infiniti, rx series

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A new touch pointing device was unveiled by Denso Corporation. The new controller has a pointing device that moves the cursor on the display screen to select buttons, icons, and other interface elements. The remote touch controller is mounted in the vehicle’s center-console and allows drivers to remotely control cabin equipment such as the car navigation system, audio system, and air conditioning system.

This is the world’s first such controller for vehicles with a two-dimensional cursor on the display screen. The new controller is installed on the Lexus RX, which Toyota Motor Corporation released in Japan earlier this month.

This user-friendly human machine interface will allow drivers to easily and accurately operate cabin equipment remotely, helping to ease driver workload.

(Source) Denso Global

Tags: air conditioning system, buttons icons, car navigation system, cursor, denso, Japan, Lexus, lexus rx, pointing device, Toyota, toyota motor, toyota motor corporation

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