A hybrid SUV should be a healthy prescription – why don’t all brands follow it?

Lexus went very big when it introduced South Africa to the idea of the performance luxury hybrid.

Ahead of its time, the previous generation Lexus RX 400h was introduced at this same big hybrid event.  It was followed up by the new Lexus RX 450h.  But paging around in the new car buyer’s guides shows something interesting – this is the only SUV available as a hybrid.  Surely the usual SUV criticisms of being too heavy on fuel and too un-green to the environment means this kind of vehicle should lend itself to a more efficient type of power-provider… it should make sense to have an electric motor take over the role of emission-dirty city drives… it should make sense!  But why, then, don’t all brands do it?

Rather than a stand-alone sometimes uncomfortable looking hybrid car, Lexus has gone the route of offering its ES, GS, RX and LS ranges in normal petrol, or h-suffixed hybrid variants – blue outlines for the grille’s stylised-L logo and a discreet Hybrid blue-background badge at the bottom of the RX’s rear doors say it softly.  

Instead of a rev counter, the driver is presented with a gauge without circular scaled numbering – instead, the gauge segments are in letters, reading Charge, Eco and Power.  This is helpful to show current driving economy or status, by moving the needle to the economical Eco segment, or the not-so-efficiency conscious Power segment, and when harnessed kinetic energy (during deceleration or braking) recharges the battery pack, the Power segment is indicated.  However, the needle that swings up-and-down busily during variable-speed driving, such as in busy traffic, is distracting to the driver’s eyes.

A big benefit of a one-part electric one-part petrol hybrid is the ability to set off and cruise at lower speeds in eerily quiet full-electric mode.  The transition to added petrol propulsion from the silky-smooth Lexus V6 engine is seamless.  Due to the CVT transmission there are also no gear changes, which is okay for most driving circumstances, but harder acceleration or steep uphills means the monotone high-revving makes it sound annoying, and also gives the feeling that fuel, which a hybrid is supposed to be saving, is now being wasted.  Claimed average emissions are 148 g, with a very low (for a heavy luxury SUV type) 6.3 l/100km, showing substantial savings over the RX 350’s 10.6 l/100 average.  In town, despite feather-footing it to try drive on electricity (and avoid waking the 3.5 V6) the consumption graph projected a measured 8.9 l/100km.  When driving with climate control or headlamps on, the batteries were comfortable for only about 2 km, before the electronics let the engine kick in.  On the open road, the engine does most of the pulling.

At 2110 kg kerb weight, the added electrics underneath mean a 135kg weight penalty over the petrol-powered RX 350.  With some other hybrids unable to tow, the Lexus RX 450h is fortunately rated to tow 750kg unbraked and 2 tons with a braked trailer, caravan etc.  Don’t expect any electric-mode when towing, though.  

A quick overview shows the current RX (2nd) came onto the market in 2009, lining up 350 or 450h in SX, XE, or top 450h LXE spec.  In mid 2012 the RX received the Lexus “spindle” grille and some other items to give it a facelift, and an F-Sport model was added for the 450h, but towards the end of 2013 it was dropped again, leaving 450h in only high SE spec.  The 350 EX prices at R 691 000 as at August 2014, with 450h SE sitting at R 877 700 – whether nearly R190k extra (albeit with more equipment) is worth paying for the hybrid remains debatable.

The market today lists only 2 hybrid SUVs:  this Lexus RX 450h SE and the Porsche Cayenne S e-hybrid (just facelifted) which employs a 3.0 supercharged V6 + hybrid electric drivetrain.  The Lexus produces a quoted combined system output of 220kW (but torque unspecified) compared to the German SUVs 306kW and 590 combined Nm of torque.  Porsche shows 0-100 in 5.9 seconds, out-accelerating the Lexus with its 7.8s, and this Cayenne claims an unbelievably low 79g of emissions and a diesel city-car beating 3.4 l/100km!  They aren’t selling many – probably as the R 1.133 million price tag puts many of.  If you want to feel serious torque and acceleration without even thinking twice about conserving fuel, trust the efficient potent BMW X5 M50d (ignore the misleading “50” – this is a 3.0 tri-turbo 740Nm mega-diesel).  

In medical terms Rx means prescription, so the Lexus RX h might be just what the Doctor prescribed. A hybrid SUV sounds like great cure… but in reality the price premium, extra weight and mostly less-than-expected fuel saving leaves it less than a healthy product.  Which might explain why almost all other brands stick to the tried-and-trusted, fuel-efficient, huge torque, turbo diesel potion.

 

Browse the widest range of Hybrid SUV cars on Auto Trader, we have the largest range of Used cars for sale available across the South Africa.