2012 Lexus Rx350 Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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Lexus reveals spindly CT 200h facelift ahead of Chinese debut

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. So goes the saying, and Lexus seems to be taking it to heart. In addition to the hybrid versions of the Japanese luxury marque's conventional cars, Lexus is intent on offering a dedicated luxury hybrid. The original HS 250h failed to gain traction, so to speak, in the marketplace, and was quickly withdrawn from just about every market but Japan's. Lexus followed up with the CT 200h, exclusively packaging a hybrid powertrain into a premium hatchback form, but while it's been more successful than its predecessor, there's still room for improvement.
That's what Toyota and its premium division are going for with a slightly refreshed take on the CT. Spied completely undisguised (and in F-Sport guise) less than a month ago, the facelifted CT 200h is now confirmed for debut not at the LA Auto Show or the Tokyo Motor Show but at the Guangzhou Motor Show that's set to take place at the same time in China.
Although Lexus hasn't revealed much in the way of details and only two images, it's plain to see that what we're looking at is a mildly refreshed version of the existing CT 200h. The front end is now dominated by the spindle grille that adorns the rest of the Lexus range, flanked by reshaped headlamps. The rear end has been updated as well, but whether the cosmetic changes are joined by any mechanical ones - or, for that matter, if the changes made will be enough to put the hybrid hatchback ahead in the sales curve - remains to be seen.

2016 Civic, Sonata, Lexus RX, and Altima earn TSP+ from IIHS [w/videos]

The 2016 Honda Civic sedan, Hyundai Sonata, Lexus RX, and Nissan Altima started the year with a bang by earning Top Safety Pick+ honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They join 48 other 2016 model year vehicles that IIHS already tested that received the agency's top safety marks. These four models met the IIHS' latest requirement, scoring the agency's best possible score in all five of its crash tests – front, side, rear, rollover, and the difficult small-overlap – to be eligible for the safety accolade. Hyundai improved the 2016 Sonata's structure after the sedan's production began, so this rating only applied to examples produced after October. To get the TSP+ honor, a vehicle's crash prevention tech needs to earn least two points on the IIHS' scale. The lower Top Safety Pick designation can go to model with a "basic" version of these systems like a front collision warning. The Civic, Sonata, and RX scored the maximum six points to get "superior" scores for their optional crash prevention tech because they avoided collisions at up to 25 miles per hour. The Altima was successful in a 12-mph test, but the system slowed the sedan by 10 mph in the 25-mph test rather than completely stopping it. Therefore, the agency awarded the Nissan five points, which was still a "superior" score. You can watch the small-overlap tests for the Civic, RX, Altima, and Sonata respectively below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Four more vehicles earn the 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award ARLINGTON, Va. — The Honda Civic 4-door, Hyundai Sonata, Lexus RX and Nissan Altima are the latest vehicles to earn the top award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The four vehicles join the 2016 winner's circle just one month after the initial crop of 48 TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners was announced. The requirements for TOP SAFETY PICK+ were tightened for 2016. To qualify, winners must earn good ratings in each of the Institute's five crashworthiness tests and have an available front crash prevention system earning an advanced or superior rating.

Drifting on a frozen lake with a studded Lexus looks like fun

Sometimes you come across a list of ingredients and you don't even need to know what's being made, you just know you need to be there when it's done. So if you saw a recipe for a Vimeo video that was one snow-covered frozen lake, one Lexus IS, four studded tires, two ice fisherman and one guy lounging on a couch, do you think you'd have any questions?
We didn't. The dish was cooked up by the Wide Open Drift Team and KSP Productions, and it's exactly what you'd think it is. Right down to the guy on the couch. We're glad we got to partake, and you can too in the video below.