Can a 2.5 tonne hybrid be green? Lexus says so

By SmartPlanet on 02 October 2007, 11:37am

Luxury cars are a green oxymoron, right? Well, Lexus is out to prove our hunch wrong by flogging its hybrid flagship LS 600h in the UK from today. Weighing in at two-and-a-half tonnes and equipped with every in-car gizmo under the sun, it hardly appears brimming with eco virtues on the surface.

Inside, though, a hybrid petrol-electric engine (similar to the Toyota Prius's) means this car comes third in the government's ranking of the greenest luxury cars. We're using 'green' in a relative sense here. With an mpg of 30.4, this car is only eco compared to the Audis, Mercs and Beamers it's up against. The CO2 emissions per kilometre are a hulking 210g -- over twice that of the cleanest motors on the market, but just low enough to dodge London's proposed £25 Congestion Charge fee for gas guzzlers.

If you must have a luxury car -- and honestly, men, look at George Clooney and his electric cars if you still think you need a big motor to score - at least this is a good one. Our sister site CNET.com loves the car and gave it 9.7 out of 10, describing it as offering "frankly a lot less money and lot more greenness than its rivals". Read the full review here.

To get behind the wheel, join the queue: Lexus already has a backlog of orders taking it through to spring 2008. We recommend taking a better-paid job, too. If you thought the Prius was on the steep side, this isn't for you... it'll set you back a cool £81,400.