Lexus CT

Lexus CT (A10)
Overview
Manufacturer	Lexus (Toyota)
Production	January 2011–present[1]
Model years	2011–present
Assembly	Japan: Miyawaka, Fukuoka (Miyata plant)[1]
Designer	Takeshi Tanabe
Body and chassis
Class	Compact car (C)
Body style	5-door hatchback
Layout	Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	Toyota New MC platform
Powertrain
Engine	1.8 L 2ZR-FXE I4 (hybrid gasoline / electric)
Transmission	CVT automatic
Battery	1.3 kWh nickel-metal hydride[2]
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,600 mm (102.4 in)[3]
Length	4,350 mm (171.3 in)[3]
Width	1,765 mm (69.5 in)[3]
Height	1,455 mm (57.3 in)[3]

The Lexus CT 200h (Japanese: レクサス・CT, Rekusasu CT) is a hybrid electric automobile introduced by Lexus as a premium sport compact hatchback. It is the first production model in Lexus's family to introduce the "Spindle Grill" design as seen in its fascia. It made its debut at the March 2010 Geneva Auto Show,^[4] six months after the unveiling of the LF-Ch concept car; it is primarily targeted at the European market but is being sold worldwide^[5] and was introduced to North American markets at the April 2010 New York International Auto Show. Lexus has trademarked the names CT 200h, CT 300h, and CT 400h.^[6] The design by Takeshi Tanabe^[7] was approved in 2008 and designs patented on 11 September 2009.^[8] Production began at the end of December 2010 and European sales following shortly after.^[9] Japan sales began in 12 January 2011,^[10] while US sales began in March 2011.^[11]

Designated the model code A10, when fitted with ZR-series petrol engine with hybrid setup, the CT is known as the ZWA10. "CT" stands for "Creative Touring" and "200h" refers to the hybrid performance being equal to that of a conventional 2.0-litre engine.^[12] However, some Lexus importers use the backronymic name, "Compact Touring".^[13]

Specifications

Lexus CT 200h F Sport (facelift)

The CT 200h is powered by the same 1.8-litre VVT-i four-cylinder petrol engine (Toyota's 2ZR-FXE) as used in the Auris and Prius, producing 73 kW (98 hp) and 142 N·m (105 lbf·ft) of torque, paired with electric motor/generators in the hybrid drive system; together the engine and electric motors produce up to 100 kW (134 hp) and 207 N·m (153 lbf·ft) of torque along with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. Fuel consumption for the CT 200h is listed at 4.1 L/100 km (57.4 mpg_-US) in Australia.^[14]

The CT 200h chassis is based on the Toyota MC platform, which is the same platform used by the Corolla and the Matrix.^[15] The Lexus CT 200h features a front MacPherson strut suspension and a rear double wishbone design.^[16] The CT 200h has four driving modes Normal, Sport, Eco and EV included on other hybrid drive vehicles. Sport mode modifies the throttle and electric power steering settings, while making the Stability control and traction control less intrusive, maximising the CT200h's performance. EV mode generates zero emissions at the vehicle by using only the vehicles electric motors to drive the vehicle.

Safety features include vehicle stability control (VSC) and eight standard airbags with the options of a pre-collision system with dynamic radar cruise control at extra cost.^[17] There is also a Vehicle Proximity Notification System, which uses a low tone to alert pedestrians to the presence of a hybrid motor vehicle, as well as telematic services (Safety Connect in North America).^[18]

Facelift

In 2013, for the 2014 model year, the styling of the CT was refreshed, using Lexus' new corporate "Spindle" grille.

Market

Australia

Standard features on the CT 200h include SmartAccess with push-button Start/Stop and touch sensors on exterior front-door handles, leather steering wheel, a six-speaker, audio system with a CD player, and Bluetooth phone connectivity, iPod connectivity, 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, and dual zone automatic climate control.^[19] In Australia, the CT 200h is offered in "Prestige", "Luxury", "F Sport" and "Sport Luxury" specifications. The Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury variants add a reversing camera as standard, while the Sports Luxury gains active cruise control and the pre-collision safety system. F Sport models include all the features of the Luxury model, plus sports bumpers, sports side skirts and a large rear spoiler. Interior features of the F Sport are an F Sport steering wheel, sports pedals, scuff plates, instrument panel and privacy glass.

At the 2011 Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne (25–27 March 2011), the Lexus CT 200h was used in the Celebrity Challenge, a one-make, one-off series event held as part of the Grand Prix's weekend attractions. The event, supported by CAMS and sponsored by Lexus Australia, was promoted as the world's first race containing only petrol-electric vehicles.^[20]

North America

In North America, the CT launched in early 2011 for the 2011 model year. The facelift model arrived in 2013 for the 2014 model year. At this time, the "F Sport" package was now offered, including a different variation on the spindle grille and other cosmetic differentiation. No performance enhancements came with the F Sport package, which used visually different wheels but the same tires as the base CT.

Estimated fuel consumption is:

	City	Highway	Combined
US[21]	5.5 L/100 km (43 mpg-US)	5.9 L/100 km (40 mpg-US)	5.6 L/100 km (42 mpg-US)
Canada[22]	5.5 L/100 km (42.8 mpg-US)	5.9 L/100 km (39.9 mpg-US)	5.7 L/100 km (41.3 mpg-US)

Reception

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in its 2011 Hybrid Scorecard ranked the Lexus CT 200h, together with the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, as the top luxury hybrid models in the scorecard's environmental improvement category, an achievement the UCS attributed to their relatively small petrol engines, as both carmakers downsized these vehicles' engines from six to four cylinders to maximize fuel economy.^[23][24] The UCS evaluation found that the Lexus CT 200h reduces greenhouse emissions by 42.9% as compared to the Lexus IS 250, used as its petrol-only similar for this comparison.^[25][26]

Awards

• Best Small Car 2011 Over $35,000 - Australia's Best Cars^[27]
• Grand Prix award for highest safety performance - Japan New Car Assessment Program* (JNCAP)^[28]
• Winner (Hybrids) - Asian Auto Fuel Efficiency Awards 2011^[29]

Gallery

CT 200h F Sport (Australia)  CT 200h Luxury (Australia)  Interior  CT 200h Sports Luxury (Australia)

Sales

Global sales of Lexus CT 200h reached 267,000 units through March 2016, making the CT the second best selling Lexus hybrid after the Lexus RX 400h/RX 450h. CT 200h sales represent 26.7 percent of the one million Lexus hybrids delivered since 2005.^[30]

Calendar year	Canada	Japan	Europe	U.S.
2011	1,350^*[31]	20,704	16,980[32]	14,381^*[33]
2012	1,640[31]	11,325	15,599[34]	17,673[33]
2013	979[31]		9,406[35]	15,071[36]
2014	1035[31]		10,340[37]	17,673[38]
2015	814[31]		10,235[39]	14,657[40]

^*Canadian and U.S. sales began in March 2011.^[31]

References

1. "Affiliates (Toyota wholly-owned subsidiaries)-Toyota Motor Kyushu, Inc.". Toyota Motor Corporation. 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
2. Josh Pihl (January 2014). "Table 33. Batteries for Selected Hybrid-Electric Vehicles, Model Years 2013-2014". Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
3. "CT 200h Specs". Australia: Lexus. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
4. "Lexus CT 200 H Teased Ahead of Geneva Debut". Worldcarfans.com. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
5. "Lexus Confirms CT 200h for U.S. Market". Insideline.com. 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
6. "Lexus' "C-Premium" upmarket small car gets a name: CT 200h... – my.IS – Lexus IS Forum". my.IS. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
7. "Takeshi Tanabe interview: evolution of Lexus design". Lexus. 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
8. U.S. Patent D624,850
9. Elias, Mark (2010-11-30). "First Drive: 2011 Lexus CT 200h [Review]". Leftlanenews.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
10. "Lexus Launches 'CT 200h' in Japan". Toyota Japan. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
11. "March 2011 Dashboard: Hybrid Car Sales Triple Increase of Auto Market". HybridCars.com. 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
12. "Lexus Launches 'CT 200h' in Japan" (Press release). Japan: Toyota. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
13. "Site Map". Australia: Lexus. Archived from the original on 2014-04-11.
14. The Motor Report, Lexus CT200h on sale in Australia.
15. Monticello, Mike (2011-02-15). "2011 Lexus CT 200h Full Test and Video". Insideline.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
16. "Lexus CT200h to get North American Debut at New York Auto Show | AutoGuide.com News". Autoguide.com. 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
17. Edmunds Inside Line, Lexus Highlights Safety Features on 2011 CT 200h in Wake of Recalls.
18. "Edmunds 2012 Lexus CT 200h". Edmunds.com. 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
19. "Pricing for All-New 2011 Lexus CT 200h to Start Below $30,000" (Press release). Toyota USA. 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
20. Lexus Enthusiast, Lexus Australia Sponsors World's First Hybrid-Only Race
21. "Fuel Economy of the 2015 Lexus CT 200h". U.S. Department of Energy. 2015-08-05. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
22. "Fuel Consumption Report". Natural Resources Canada. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
23. Cheryl Jensen (2011-07-07). "Scientists Demand Improved Hybrid Performance From Automakers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
24. "Hybrid Scorecard for 2011 Shows Automakers Not Delivering Enough 'High Value' Models". Union of Concerned Scientists. 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
25. Union of Concerned Scientists. "UCS Hybrid Scorecard Methodology". HybridCenter.org. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
26. Union of Concerned Scientists. "Hybrid Scorecard: Lexus CT 200h". HybridCenter.org. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
27. "Best Small Car over $35,000". australiasbestcars.com.au. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
28. "Lexus 'CT 200h' Tops New Japanese Overall Safety Assessment". Toyota Japan. 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
29. "Winners of the Asian Auto AmBank - Fuel Efficiency Awards 2011". asianauto.com. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
30. "Lexus Hybrid Owners, Thanks a Million" (Press release). Tokyo: Toyota Global Newsroom. 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
31. Cain, Timothy (2011-01-01). "Lexus CT Sales Figures". Good Car Bad Car. USA. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
32. "Toyota Motor Europe posts year-on-year sales increase despite supply disruptions" (Press release). Europe: Toyota. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
33. "December 2012 and Year-End Sales Chart". USA: Toyota. 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
34. "Toyota Motor Europe 2012 Sales Up 2% (+15,583 Units) In A Sharply Declining Market" (Press release). Europe: Toyota. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
35. "Record hybrid sales push Toyota Motor Europe market share and volume gains" (Press release). Europe: Lexus. 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
36. "December 2013 and Year-End Sales Chart". USA: Toyota. 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
37. "Fourth consecutive year of sales growth for Toyota Motor Europe in 2014 with record hybrid sales" (Press release). Europe: Toyota. 2015-01-14. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
38. "December 2014 and Year-End Sales Chart" (Press release). USA: Toyota. 2015-01-05. Retrieved 2015-01-06.
39. "December 2015 and Year-End Sales Chart" (Press release). Europe: Toyota. 2016-01-04. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
40. "December 2015 and Year-End Sales Chart" (Press release). USA: Toyota. 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2016-01-18.

External links

• Lexus CT international site