Lexus CT200h: driving test and video

Posted on 19-10-2015 to 16:00 pm by Wouter – 65 Comments”

It’s now or never and leaserijders know exactly what I’m talking about. After 31 december 2015 is the last with the category 14% bijtellers. That advantage is now quickly switch to a Lexus CT200h to score.

[ First look, then read? Watch the video HERE! ]

Life does not, of course, with more than 14% of list price and the Lexus is more than a car with a friendly bijtellingspercentage. More about that later, first let’s dive into the brief history of Lexus. Only 25 years is the luxury brand of Toyota, but it is here and in the United States no longer away to think. The first car that Lexus put on the market was the LS400, and it was immediately a car which Germans in Ingolstadt, Stuttgart and Munich, many a night have are tossing. The LS400 never came in the near of the competition, no, on many points, beating the Lexus the established competition such as the S-class and 7-series.

Fast-forward to 2011, I save, perhaps, some interesting chapters in the Lexus history, but the purpose here is, finally, not to be a history book about the Lexus down to pens. In 2011 there were in addition to the Toyota Prius, any other cars that were eligible for the 14% additional tax liability. In addition to the red carpet for the maintenance (more on that later) could Lexus also barricade in front of the door. Before anyone could drive, there were already more than 700 orders listed. The concurrentieveld is now completely different, there are not only other C-segment cars with low tax, but also there are various makes with plug-in hybrids with an even lower tax liability. The plugins all have a (significantly) higher price, so the market for the CT200h still exists.

The facelift
After four years it was time for Lexus for the CT200h, a small make-over to give. Biggest change is the “new, powerful familiefront with the spindle grille”. A few new flavours rims and very subtle change to the rear complete the clean-up of the CT200h on the outside.

Sssttt.
My biggest kritiekpunt on the CT200h was that the sound annoyed me. It seems customers in practice, much less to make, but Lexus was of the opinion that there was to win. The CT200h is a whopping 94 points adjusted to control the sound in check. And happier there really is noticeably more quiet in the cabin, even if you have the driveline on his thunder gives. It remains a car I’d rather turn on the radio, that I with windows open through a tunnel blèr, but that is with 95% of the diesels. The electronics of the driveline including the CVT transmission is also adapted, so that the climb of the speed of the motor a more natural course knows. In practice, that means that the 1.8 block down firmly on the gas and not directly to the 5000 revolutions per minute (rpm shoots, but the revs more gradually be increased.

The powertrain
On paper, brings the powertrain up to 136 horsepower and the interesting thing is that the CT200h sometimes relatively rapidly, but at other times, lta seems to be. In order to understand it and to determine whether the CT200h for you is, is a dip in the technology needed. The CT200h is in fact the powertrain of the Prius, and so an internal combustion engine, a relatively small battery pack, a continuously variable transmission and an electric motor.

The internal combustion engine has a for this time a relatively large capacity of 1.8 litres. Turbo s has the block does not, however, a special Atkinson battle that the 1.8 is still more economical. Total supplies 1.8 a “whopping” 99 hp and 142 Nm. Fortunately, there is also an electric motor on board that is 82 hp and 207 Nm of supplies. They provide simultaneously the maximum power, so the sum for the total output is 136 hp.

CT200h

Benzinemotor1800cc

73 kW/ 99 hp

142 Nm

Elektromotor60 kW/ 82 hp

207 Nm

Systeemvermogen100 kW/ 136 hp

0-10010,3 s

Topsnelheid180 km/h

Normverbruik3,6 l/100km

CO2-uitstoot82g/ km

Bijtelling14%

Neither the sprinttijd, nor the top speed is very impressive, but that is absolutely not the whole story. Each electric motor delivers its maximum torque from 0 rpm, and thanks to the CVT box of the CT200h can the combustion engine direct the full power supply. There is no hitch, no terugschakelmoment and even though no overschakelmomenten. It makes the CT200h between 20 and 90 km/h-much smoother than the paper specs suggest. The word snelheidsbeleving is not applicable. Only to the other traffic, you can deduce that the mustache is sitting with the acceleration, but the internal combustion engine is continuously run at the optimal (high) speed and acceleration is of course not breathtaking with 136 hp.

If the speed is higher, then it takes the fun and acceleration substantially. The electric motor can less and less to help, and then there’s an atmospheric, economy-tuned 1.8 liter engine with 99 horsepower. Up to legal speeds, it is still OK, above that is the sappelen. That is what will fit the CT200h is not totally in to my personal driving style where I snelwegritten in “Germany” (3 yard hooray for Flitsmeister) should be roughly between 80 and 180 km/h. If you are less common in Germany to drive (or get there at the recommended engine speed of 130 km/h) than the CT200h, you will probably not disappoint in terms of performance and consumption. At higher speeds, it is clear that the CT200h is not oversized driveline and consumption very quickly.

Lots of standard
With every Lexus, and also the CT200h is an automatic transmission, cruise control, climate control, some leather in the interior and audio system by default. The CT200h is also provided with self-healing coating, so that your toddler or a toddler, the car also can let wash. The chances of visible scratches is greatly reduced.

The 25-year anniversary to celebrate, throws a Lexus for the CT 200h 25th Edition also rear parking sensors, navi, heated seats, an automatic dimming rear-view mirror , a reversing camera and privacy glass to the rear. And then I forget the decoratiestrip of real bamboo, that I very beautiful, just like the rest of the interior.

Nadeeltjes were not difficult to spot inside. The parking brake you can operate with a small pedaaltje and punch your relatively easy to your shins. Hopefully it is during a frontal collision away, otherwise split your quietly with your leg in half. The navigation system is also revamped and has now not more a kind of joystick for the control, but a regular rotary encoder. Some functions are directly accessible with a button, but the navigation does not display. You need to the home screen and then select what is just a bit too cumbersome.

Send
The steering and handling is semi-entertaining, but “sportier” car drivers will swerve into another car. Grip there is enough feedback through the steering wheel and the rest of the car is also there. Only if you have the right input speed choose, it will be nice, because in terms of acceleration lacks the powertrain sharpness and strength to make it exciting.

A CT200h with a higher tax liability
One of the Unique Selling Points for the Dutch market, the lower tax of 14%. From 1 January 2016, that advantage dwindles and so the question is justified whether the CT200h still has the right to exist. Presumably it will be less storm than in 2011, but there are certainly reasons to think why it is still a CT200h could be. The Red Carpet Treatment could be a reason. At every service is the CT200h, like any Lexus, for the door to be picked up and again brought back. Each rider will get a replacement vehicle, both the exterior and interior is cleaned and operates a fixed service on the car. I remain amazed that the other premium brands have not copied, because that is customer care pur sang.

The running cost or TCO (total cost of ownership) are a different argument. They are low for the CT200h. Tires going around a long time, the brake pads through regenerative braking, and the build quality of the Lexus is sublime. The consumption is strongly dependent on the driving style, but even with a normal driving style is the CT200h, in practice, also really economical. Do you prefer speed, then you must look for or wait until Lexus with a CT300h.

Conclusion
With 14% additional tax liability, the CT200h is still a few months in 2015 have an attractive offer, especially in as complete 25th Edition for 30.490 euro. Then will Lexus dealers harder to attract to entice customers to purchase a CT200h. The hybrid concept, you must be on appeal, and the CT200h is also not exactly the most spacious in its class, but it is also a very nice car. Movie!

Gallery: Lexus CT200h 2015

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