Lexus GS450h: Toyota rolls out Hybrid Lexus Sedan

Toyota rolls out Hybrid Lexus Sedan

World’s second largest automobile manufacturer Toyota has finally launched their first hybrid sedan under the famed Lexus brand. The company has begun selling this model in their domestic market of Japan and this launch would now be followed by a wider launch in select overseas market in the coming months.

Toyota already dominates the market for hybrid vehicles with their popular models like the Toyota Prius. And they are continuously expanding their range by launching hybrid models of their other regular cars in the market.

The company is aiming to sell as many as 1 million units of hybrid cars per year by 2010 and it requires them to expand their vehicle range powered by hybrid technology massively. The latest model is the Lexus GS450h and it is powered by the world’s first hybrid system specifically designed for cars with rear-wheel-drive.

Toyota is aiming at selling 1,800 GS hybrids a year in Japan, and 5,700 units globally in 2006. Their future plans include launching a hybrid model of their LS sedan, Lexus’s flagship model, after the new gasoline version debuts this fall.

This hybrid version of the Lexus is priced at $57,950, compared with $44,310 for a gasoline-only 3.5-liter version and $53,690 for the 4.3-liter GS.