Lexus HS 250h Hybrid On Sale This Summer

Lexus held the second press conference of the 2009 Detroit auto show, where the HS 250h Hybrid was revealed. Coming as it did immediately after GM’s noisy press conference, Lexus was all quiet confidence. It has brought out a new hybrid every year since 2005, and the HS 250h is the first dedicated hybrid model from Lexus — there is not conventional gasoline-only counterpart. It’s hybrid or the highway, baby.

Lexus didn’t give a price for the new four-door sedan (it always waits until the last minute), but it did say the HS 250h is aimed at entry-level luxury car buyers who said in surveys that if there had been a hybrid in their price range, they would have bought it. Like a hybrid genie, Lexus is hoping to make their wishes come true.

As for its green cred, there aren’t any EPA mileage numbers, though the company says the HS 250h will get higher mileage than a Smart car. The interior plastics are plant-based, from the panels to the foam and upholstery. Thirty percent of the interior is recycled, while 85% of the entire car can be recycled at the end of its lifespan.