Driving a Lexus is always a pleasure, even if the car is not an entirely new model but one with a minor facelift.
Why? Because you can always count on a car that is well put together.
There is not a hint of cabin rattle, the windows operate noiselessly
and body panels are aligned precisely, with shutlines as narrow and
uniform as gaps on a fine-tooth comb.
The engine transmits barely any vibration into the passenger cell,
the brakes do not squeal, the seats do not creak and the springs do not
squeak.
Beyond these basic prerequisites - which a number of manufacturers find hard to meet - a Lexus offers refinement.
Every stalk and switch is pleasing to the touch, and operates as if
there is an air cushion between every physical contact point. That goes
for even the entry-level CT200h, a Lexus that is available only with a
petrol-electric drivetrain.
The car exudes a quality beyond what you would normally expect of a
product in its price range. The model was introduced here three years
ago.
Cosmetic tweaks aside, very little has changed since then. The car
wears Lexus' new corporate spindle grille, which does seem to suit it
quite well. Visually, it gives the hatch a lift in the sportiness
department. So does the darkened roof on the test-car (a first for
Lexus), which from afar resembles the carbon roof you find on the BMW
M3.
The new 10-spoke aluminium wheels the car sits on are pretty
sporty-looking too. But, as before, the CT200h is not nearly as sporty
as its styling suggests. Its acceleration is leisurely, taking more
than 10 seconds to reach 100kmh from standstill.
To get it up to a trot in a hurry, you need to have a heavy right
foot. Or you could switch to Sport mode, which improves throttle
response noticeably.
Lexus claims it has made adjustments to the suspension as well as
enhanced body rigidity and aerodynamics to give the car more agility,
stability and comfort. But this is not apparent.
It says more than 90 improvements were made to reduce noise,
vibration and harshness. Again, this is not apparent, mainly because
the original car was already very refined.
Changes to the interior are few but more noticeable. The CT gets a
three-spoke steering wheel similar to the one in the more accomplished
Lexus IS. And its 7-inch multimedia centre monitor is thinner and
sleeker.
All these small changes add up to a car that is more updated and
somewhat more attractive. Even if it is still not exactly a head-turner.
As for its performance, the hybrid hatch is still decidedly
laidback. Its high-compression engine (13:1 ratio) is tuned for
efficiency rather than effervescence. Left in the default Normal drive
mode, it is often one of the last cars to leave a junction when the
lights turn green. (It is probably advisable not to activate the Eco
mode, in case you fall asleep at the wheel.)
In Sport mode, things liven up significantly. Stomping on the right
pedal has the same result. But somehow, you tend to drive gingerly in
the CT. Perhaps it has to do with a prominent gauge on the instrument
panel that shows how economically you are driving.
Hypnotised by this gauge, I average 5.5 litres/100km - similar to the 5.3 litres/100km achieved in the original car and not far from Lexus' claimed 4.1 litres/100km figure. Over a stretch driven in Sport mode, the consumption goes up, but not beyond 8 litres/100km.
The CT200h is clearly an economy champ then, aided no doubt by its
electric system, continuously-variable transmission and restrained
throttle.
But if you can ignore the car's hypnotic economy gauge and keep the
drive mode permanently in Sport, you may be able to have some fun at
the wheel.
If not, you can always sit back and enjoy the Lexus for what it is: a well-built car that is smooth, silent and comfortable.
