Test Drive Lexus RX since 2012 SUV

Batteries are asking for fire

I let go of the gas pedal, and it even seemed to me that I hear the noise of the surf. Silent, like trolleybus, car rolled along the Aegean Sea. Everything moves, nothing is on the spot, "said Herclite. Greek has long been excluded from school programs. Now in line with the audit of the tutorials of driving schools. It will take another bit of time, and the discipline of the car device will look quite different. On visual allowances, the place of float chambers and other anachronomies will take completely different details. Such as Lexus RX 400H.
I turned the ignition key, the instrument panel flashed, but the engine did not start. Maybe you need to squeeze the brake? - put forward the version of the colleague. Or the engine works, but excellent sound insulation does not allow it to hear? Again there is no tachometer - instead of it, the scale measuring kilowatts. The Japanese, who watched through an open window for our speech attempts, was clearly satisfied: it all already works, "he slept," you can go.
If you press the pedal, which language is now simply not rotated to be called gas, then the hybrid Rx silently moves from the scene. The gasoline engine is silent, only electric motors work. In this mode, we drove a kilometer of one and a half and even accelerated to 50 km / h. The gasoline motor instantly turned on only when the battery charge posts on the display became very small. Now we also worked a gasoline engine, and the front electric motor - the rear axle rest, and the battery, judging by the same display, began to charge.
We tried to press the gas rising. With intensive acceleration of horsepower and gasoline, and electric units add up, and the driver has the opportunity to enjoy all 272 hp At this Lexus there is a stepless transmission - the variator, so the acceleration proceeds solely smoothly, without jerks. Another detail: when the hybrid vehicle accelerates, the force is transmitted to all four wheels. Wherein the rear axle is driven exclusively by an electric motor, a propeller shaft Lexux RX 400h simply no.
It is necessary to let go of the gas pedal - the gasoline engine will immediately shrink. The electromotors also work as generators: explicitly more scientifically, convert kinetic energy into electric, accumulating in the battery. At the same time, the economical driver will be very pleasant to look at the flow meter. If with intensive acceleration when the gas pedal was drowning until it stops, it sometimes shows consumption of 65 l / 100 km, then when the pedal is released - 0 l / 100 km. You can roll and roll, not polluting with the environment and without facilitating your own pocket. So today they save the fuel of the Crimean taxi drivers - after the pass, we turn off the ignition and then, under the mountain, go rolled.
The same thing in a traffic jam or on a long traffic light, when the gasoline is not needed to burn either. Swim motor? Some of us do it, forcing then standing behind to listen to how the starter turns, and the engine does not grab. Here everything is simple: in the resting position, the car is like non-fat, but it is worth clicking on the pedal, and she went, worship herself, she needs a gasoline engine now or not.
Sales of Lexus RX 400H in Russia have already begun. It costs a $ 77 300 car. Recall that for RX 300 in the maximum configuration with us, $ 66,100 are asked, so there is a reason to discuss what we get, paying for an electromechanical toy extra $ 11 200.
Environmental protection issues We are worried about a little - we throw bottles and cigarette packs from the car window, so that we are extra cubic meters CO. Fuel economy? Let's consider. RX 400H Consumes a hundred per 4.1 l less than RX 300. So, if you usually pass, for example, 20,000 km, then the savings are 820 l AI-95, which is approximately $ 475. Therefore, the tools spent will be taken out for 23 years and 5 months.
Lexus and does not call to consider these kopecks. The company is positioning Lexus RX 400H as a more dynamic car addressed to the progressively thinking people who are in a hurry to buy a new mobile phone, not because it is so necessary for his new features, but because it is relevant and fashionable. The dynamics of the hybrid is really impressive - until hundreds of it starts in just 7.6 s, which is 1.4 with faster than RX 300. As for the firmness, then allow yourself to argue. The new mobile phone necessarily emphasizes its novelty design of the body, its transformations, key illumination and other jewelry. Therefore, it would be quite logical to expect that Lexus will allow buyers of hybrid versions to somehow blocked before those surrounding. Well, there is an antenna on the roof to stylize under the trolleybus pantograph or on board to draw a skull, zipper and write: 288 v don't touch!
In fact, the hybrid externally is almost no different from the gasoline version. RX 400H has a slightly different design of the rear lights and foglights, somewhat differently resolved the design of the radiator lattice plus the 18-inch alloy wheels specially designed for this model. The interior changes, of course, will be hidden from strangers with toned windows, and therefore only the owner's travelers will be able to see them. This is a 7-inch information display, which, among other things, will be projected with the rear transmission, everything that will see the camera mounted on the fifth door, a new device design, a slightly modified transmission modes selector, as well as aluminum decorative inserts - instead of the former , under the tree. They look more modern, but not quite logical, because the metal, unlike plastics, conducts electricity. Well, how does it hurt?
By the way, we asked the question of the reliability and durability of the battery with a responsible Japanese person. After all, if you continue the analogy with a fashionable mobile phone, then you must admit that the tube is capable of serving much longer than its battery. We were answered that the nickel-metalhydride battery is able to keep charge even with minus forty Celsius, and its service life is equal to the service life of the entire car.

The marketers of Lexus have already managed to make photographs of potential buyers of their hybrid SUV. 36 percent is 38-year-old men who are most of all in their lives of their own status and sportiness. As many as many 42-year-old, distinguished by increased requests to the quality of life and interest in new technologies. The rest of the buyers is more than 52 years. Apparently, this is the intellectual elite of humanity, which is first trying on all technical innovations.

Text Dmitry Gronsky, photo Lexus

Lexus RX 400H
 
Gasoline engine V6.
Working volume (cube. Cm) 3311
Power (hp at rpm) 211 at 5600
Moment (nm at rpm) 288 at 4400
The total power of the hybrid substrate installation (hp) 272
Transmission Variator E-CVT
Length / Width / Height (mm) 4755/1845/1670
Wheel base (mm) 2715
Mass Curb (kg) 2040
Maximum speed (km / h) 200
Acceleration to 100 km / h (c) 7.6
Fuel consumption (city / Highway / 100 km) 9.1 / 7.6
Price in Moscow $ 77 300

During the trip, I was pursued by a dejuma - I was already driving the car of this car and saw a cartoon on the display, explaining what kind of processes are now happening in a hybrid installation. Then he remembered: two years ago at the Toyota plant near Tokyo, journalists were demonstrated by the hybrid Harrier - Double RX 400H, which has long been sold in the invention of the market. Now Introduced the turn of the rest of the world - the next year the Lexus put the plan, to sell 8,000 copies of 400h - as much as gasoline Rx.

Basic RX 400H equipment includes xenon light lights with washers and adaptive road lighting system, alloy wheels, hatch, separate climate control, 9 airbags, electric power steering, leather interior, car dynamics control system, audio system Mark Levinson with 11 speakers , Rain sensor, as well as a 7-inch display inside and a rear view camera - outside.
 
 
 
 

A source: "Autopilot"