Lexus’ Hybrid SUV

Lexus has been producing the RX since 1998, earlier models were sold in American and other countries under the Toyota brand as the Harrier. Though not very popular yet in the UK, in the US it has been the best-selling crossover luxury SUV on the US market since its introduction and has ranked as the best-selling luxury vehicle in the United States.

The new Lexus RX in Essex is available in various V6 engine variants, including a Hybrid model; it comes in either front wheel or four wheel drive derivatives. The RX was the earliest luxury SUV to hit the market, inspiring competitors to produce similar models such as the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML.  The RX was the first SUV to combine the functional characteristics of an SUV with ride and features of a luxury saloon.

The 2009 models is the 3rd generation RX for Lexus, it was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show and hit the dealerships in early 2009.

As well as the traditional V6 engines, the 3rd generation consisted of a Hybrid engine model, the 450h.

The Lexus RX 450h is equipped with a 3.5-litre V6 engine, which produces 245 bhp but by incorporating a more powerful inverter and electric motors, total horsepower reaches 295 bhp. Two additional systems are added to the RX 450h’s Lexus Hybrid Drive power train: an exhaust-heat recovery system to reduce engine warm-up periods, and a water-cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system to reduce engine pumping losses.

With the RX 450h Lexus has produced one of the greenest and lowest CO2 producing SUVs, due to its Hybrid system supporting the petrol engine the RX 450h can run on battery power itself in and around town, which means running costs are relatively low too

Car Maintenance for Hybrids

Why more and more people love hybrid vehicles? There are a lot of reasons. Hybrid cars are beneficial for the environment and they are good for your own wallet; provided the increasing prices of gasoline, they practically pay for themselves! In short, many hybrid cars are attractive,trendy and sporty. It’s no wonder they sell very well and that a growing number of manufacturers are spending in developing new hybrid versions. However for all the advantages of hybrid autos, there are a few things to consider — particularly, the truth that maintenance is a little different for hybrid vehicles than it is for non-hybrids. It is not difficult of course.

For a perfect example, take your car’s brakes into consideration. We all be aware that brake pads have to be changed quite regularly. However, in a hybrid car, your brake pad will basically last a lot longer than it will in a standard vehicle.

That’s simply because a hybrid uses regenerative brake pads. For that matter, this is an essential part of how most hybrid systems perform. If you’re driving a hybrid car, you should bear in mind that brake pad replacement won’t be required nearly as often as it would be if you were driving a non-hybrid automobile.

Basically, the news is quite fine. We could almost chalk up maintenance because another one of the true benefits to hybrid ownership, as car maintenance is much less challenging and less required with hybrid cars than it is with traditional cars in most cases. The most regular maintenance mistake a hybrid driver can make, believe it or not, is simply investing an excess of money on unnecessary car maintenance.

Compared with electric vehicles, hybrids do not have to be plugged in. Actually, it’s doubtful that you will ever ought to change the battery; the battery in a hybrid car is made to last for the whole life of the vehicle. As long as you maintain a charge, you should be good. So are there any places where a hybrid might need some special maintenance or attention? There may perhaps be just one. For some types of hybrid cars, it is needed to replace the battery filter every 40,000 miles or so, yet this is only true in just a few cases. You can know if your hybrid matches this description basically by inquiring your owner’s manual. It might also be pointed out that the same holds true for many non-hybrid cars. Therefore, even this is not truly a drawback against hybrids.