Globe Drive

Toyota has added a hybrid-only model to its top-selling luxury brand, Lexus, and it is not merely a Prius with Lexus sheet metal and a fancy interior.

Really and truly. That's the unequivocal word from Toyota. And, indeed, there are significant differences, though it would be downright foolish even to suggest the two cars do not share basic technologies, even if they have been beefed up and refined in the Lexus HS 250h ($39,900 base).

Besides, sharing technologies is de rigueur in the car business. Every full-line car maker does it. Lincolns and Fords have some things in common, as do Audis and Volkswagens. And so on.

The trick is in how auto makers manage the implementation of technologies, integrating them in different ways in different models. The expensive cars generally get the best stuff first and in models with different styling, different chassis tuning, more equipment and more power.

So here we have the Prius, a four-door hatchback, with its 1.8-litre gas engine, while the HS 250h, a sedan, is powered by a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engine that produces 53 more horses (for a combined 187 hp). The HS 250h, therefore, has a lot more get up and go than the Prius, with its combined 134 hp.

Gasoline-electric hybrids deliver the instantaneous torque of an electric motor, so when you plant your right foot on the throttle, off you go with a jolt. The HS takes off fast, which is as it should be in an upscale car with an electric motor and gasoline engine for power. By the numbers: 0-100 km/h in about 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h.

Whatever the speed, the HS 250h delivers an extremely quiet and comfortable ride. The bonus comes in the form of low emissions and excellent fuel economy (5.6 litres/100 km city/5.9 highway). The Lexus also is loaded with luxury features.

There are, indeed, some small similarities in how the HS and the Prius look - the little quarter-windows up front, in each door, for instance.

But the Lexus has a low-slung body that is far sportier than the Toyota. In the HS, also take note of something else: no traditional grille. Instead, air intakes positioned up front are used to gather cooling air for the engine. This also improves aerodynamics.

Don't discount the importance of a sleek design in saving fuel. It's critical. But there is more to the HS than a pretty efficient shape.

To save fuel, Lexus has also installed an electric oil pump to reduce parasitic engine losses; an exhaust heat recovery system makes the engine more efficient in cold weather; the electronic continuously variable transmission saves fuel, too, by being more efficient than a traditional automatic gearbox with shift points; and the shift-by-wire system allows the HS 250h to shed kilos in heavy cables.

To manage that tranny, the cabin has a dainty shifter on the dash, one not entirely dissimilar to the dash-mounted job on the 2009 Prius. Lexus could have gone with a push-button transmission on the dash, but that would have been more like the 2010 Prius, and that would not do at all.

The rest of the interior here is luxurious and comfortable, with a spacious front - gobs of leg room - and a back seat adequate for two, perhaps three, adults in a pinch.

Once inside, you are wrapped in leather. This Lexus looks expensive. The standard 10-speaker stereo system is low on power (137 watts), but the sound is good - clear and strong.

The up-market version ($48,750), the Ultra Premium model, comes standard with a voice-activated navigation system. The screen for it almost floats out toward the driver and passenger; very impressive.

The system includes a nifty remote-touch interface that allows the driver to navigate through the screen using a mouse-like controller. We saw this first in the Lexus RX 350 and 400h and it works well. A 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is also standard with Ultra Premium.

Of course, being a luxury car, the HS has a few surprise-and-delight features. Among them are the Lane Keep Assist, which uses the car's radar system to ensure you drive within the lines and a radar-controlled cruise control that adjusts the car's speed to the traffic in front. I am a big fan of the heads-up display, too; it allows the driver to keep eyes on the road while monitoring speed and the like.

The rest of the story - the safety piece - includes 10 airbags and a host of safety features, such as emergency SOS wireless connectivity, anti-skid control and antilock braking.

In a nutshell, then, the HS is a sleek sedan with a smooth ride, a rich-looking cabin and plenty of high-tech features - not to mention excellent fuel economy and very tidy acceleration. The car handles like a typical sedan, not a science project. And it's easy on the environment.

That said, there is not a lot of room for back-seat passengers, the rear seats don't fold down to expand the cargo space - and that matters because the trunk is small. In fact, the HS has barely half the luggage space of the Prius.

There you have it: The HS 250h definitely is not a Prius in Lexus sheet metal.

******

2010 LEXUS HS 250h PREMIUM

Type: Mid-size luxury hybrid sedan

Price: $39,900

Gas engine: 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, DOHC

Horsepower and torque: 147 hp/138 lb-ft

Electric motor: 140 hp

Combined hybrid output: 187 hp

Transmission: CVT

Drive: Front-wheel-drive

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 5.6 city/5.9 highway; premium gas

Alternatives: There are no other dedicated premium hybrid sedans in this price range

*****

Resale value?

Automotive Lease Guide has released its projected residual value findings on the 2010 Lexus HS 250h. ALG predicts that, three years from now, the HS will retain 42 per cent of its value, which is below the Lexus line average of 44 per cent and well below the average for entry-luxury cars at 47 per cent.

ALG is an industry force in setting resale values, which have a direct effect on lease payments and often reflect the strength and reputation of a brand. The HS will appeal to some image-conscious buyers who want a dedicated hybrid, says ALG, but there are reasons to question Lexus here.

The HS is based on Toyota's European mid-size entry, the Avensis, which means it is smaller and less expensive that the other front-drive Lexus, the ES350.

The ALG analysis argues that while the HS is fairly well-equipped with push-button start, Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port, the gauge cluster is not nearly as impressive as the one in the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid.

"Lexus has started with a great idea, but the key to the [Toyota] Prius's success has been its distinctive look and the HS is based on the pedestrian Avensis, and many have compared its proportions to the Corolla. The HS will likely be successful, but probably not as much as the Prius," ALG says.

jcato@globeandmail.com