You are driving an expensive hybrid car… you are already contributing your bits to the environment.

You deserve some luxury man!

Relax!!…of course not at the cost of precious fuel.

Do you know it is now possible to tap all the luxury amenities into your car with the car taking it easy on the environment all the while! After all, the Lexus RX is here to change the notion for once and for all that only hardcore environmentalists drive hybrid cars. A man with a penchant for the fine things in life no longer has to suffer from guilty pangs for his indulgences with car-luxuries; leading hybrid models are all getting upscale makeovers! With the launching of  such chic hybrid cars like Lexus, Honda Accord or Civic and Toyota highlander…the auto-manufacturers are all cramming for attention of the high end customers.

Luxury car owners have always been looked upon as a creed for whom, the subject of fuel efficiency is a matter of little importance! But think about it! Today it is no longer fashionable to be regarded as a person who cares a hoot for environment and precious national assets! So drive in style but also stay concerned about your surrounding….the luxury hybrid cars are there to pamper you with the range of amenities while helping you to stay true to your conscience.

Just take the example of this car: the Lexus that pioneered the concept of a luxury hybrid vehicle. Built on a Toyota Camry platform, the Lexus hybrid models offer you the ultimate indulgence in luxury. The plush interior includes leather upholstery, reclining second-row seats, moon roof, heated front seats, a DVD entertainment system and a high quality audio system. Alloy wheels and traction control ensure better stability and smooth ride. Navigation system with voice recognition takes off loads from your driving efforts.

Yet, the car is environment friendly; it has been certified to be the ultra Low emission vehicle; the feature of Dual Variable Valve Timing continuously adjusts the engine’s valve timing to provide optimum power at any speed; an Electronically Controlled Transmission (ECT) accounts for a smoother ride. In ultimate term, this luxury hybrid car combines the comfort of a luxury Sedan and concerns of an environmentalist!

There is good news for those who want a bit of luxury while riding a green car.

In the New Year, Lexus has become even better.

The 2007 Lexus RX 350 comes with 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine. That means higher performance and greater fuel economy!

On the luxury side you get this new viscous limited-slip center differential. This allows you to stay connected to your favorite tunes emanating from a Mark Levinson audio system with 11 speakers. In addition to that you get 6-disc in-dash DVD/CD changer, DVD audio playback and DVD video playback.

Now the navigation system also comes with a back-up system that projects an image on the navigation screen when the vehicle is in reverse gear.

So, no more guilty complex for riding a fuel sucking luxury car! Ride a Lexus hybrid car and go green in style.

Cars have always been the hottest in the boy’s toys list. Whizzing past in a fast-moving car might have been the ultimate fashion statement for the men of past century. But today if you want to be regarded as stylist, you have to be politically correct even with your car and one aspect of political correctness is environment-consciousness. So today when we are fast moving towards a post-petroleum era, you can not afford to ride a fuel-sucking conventional SUV and claim yourself to be trendy. A cool dud like you should go green in a true blue way….you must drive a hybrid car!

If hybrid car has not been in your agenda so far, first of all you must get yourself acquainted with the top picks of the pack; much have changed since 1997, when the Toyota Prius hybrid first hit the roads of Japan. The latest hybrid models took the design and innovations to an unbelievable degree of excellence where concept and reality merge into one!

Take the example of General Motors’ latest concept vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt. Combined with Volt’s E-Flex flexible propulsion system, this new generation hybrid car is all set to offer the world the most efficient energy solutions.

Toyota has really moved beyond its Prius model that is already an icon in the green-car segment. The latest offerings from Toyota are the Camry and the Highlander respectively. The new Toyota Camry hybrid is a midsize car with a 4-cylinder engine and armed with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

For the lovers of more compact cars, there is this Lexus GS 450h which comes with a 6-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. 

Then of course the Honda —-once a king in hybrid segment and still is. In place of Honda Insight, you now get these two highly sophisticated hybrid models…the Accord Hybrid and the Civic Hybrid. The bonus points include the futuristic designs and other hi-tech amenities.

All the leading automakers are scurrying about to gab the market of more environment friendly cars. The consumer thrust also is definitely towards greener cars.

The future of the world seems to ride on these new generation hybrid cars; what about you?

The EMA Awards, an event to promote environmental awareness, took place on November 8th and was presented by Toyota and Lexus.  Attendees included Col. Buzz Aldrin, Ed Begley, Jr., Flea, Daryl Hannah, Anthony Kiedis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Graham Nash, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Jeffrey Tambor, and Robert Wagner.  Toyota had issued the following press release with information on the event:

Photo: Julia Lewis Dreyfus at EMA.

Toyota and Lexus Salute ‘Green’ Celebrities at the 16th Annual Environmental Media Awards

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Toyota and Lexus are proud to
be Presenting Sponsors of the Environmental Media Awards. This star-studded
gala event recognizes the creative teams behind television, film and music
productions that raise public awareness of environmental issues by
incorporating positive environmental messages in their work. Previous
honorees include Daryl Hannah, Edward Norton, and Cameron Diaz, and
programs such as Grey’s Anatomy, The Simpsons, and Lilo & Stitch.

“Entertainment is a potent vehicle for raising awareness of
environmental issues,” said Dian Ogilvie, senior vice president and chief
environmental officer of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “The creative
teams who are honored with an Environmental Media Award are inspiring
people to think and act in ways that benefit our planet.”

Toyota, the world leader in hybrid technology, also provides a way for
people to act through an everyday choice: the vehicle they drive. Toyota
and Lexus combined offer five hybrid models in the United States in the
mid-sized sedan, SUV and sports car segments. In all, Toyota’s hybrid
vehicles have saved over 150 million gallons of gas in the United States,
and avoided more than 3 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. Hybrid
sales are led by the Prius, which topped 500,000 worldwide in April. This
year alone, Toyota will sell more than 100,000 Prius in the U.S., which
features Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Hybrid Synergy Drive is also featured on the Highlander Hybrid and the
Camry Hybrid which debuted in April. Both hybrids are over 70% percent
cleaner for smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle on the
road. Camry Hybrids are built at Toyota’s manufacturing facility in
Georgetown Kentucky, Toyota’s first hybrid to be built in the U.S.

Last year, Lexus introduced the RX 400h, the world’s first luxury
hybrid. The RX 400h combines luxury, performance and cleaner emissions in a
sleek package. In April, Lexus launched the GS 450h hybrid luxury sports
sedan, the world’s first front-engine, rear-wheel full hybrid.

“Worldwide, Toyota plans to offer hybrid engines in many of our
products and we’ve set a goal of one million hybrids by 2010,” said Dian
Ogilvie. “We’ve made a very big commitment to this technology because it
gives people a way to drive what they want, but produce fewer emissions and
get higher fuel mileage at the same time.”

Toyota’s commitment to the environment goes beyond the hybrid story.
The company’s initiatives in North America include: recycling, reducing
landfill waste, conserving natural resources, using renewable energy, and
nurturing strong partnerships with organizations like the U.S. National
Parks Service, National Public Lands Day, National Arbor Day Foundation,
Audubon Society the American Lung Association, and EMA.

The Environmental Media Association is a non-profit created in 1989 by
producers Norman Lear and Alan Horn and their wives Lyn Lear and Cindy
Horn. EMA is guided by top Hollywood talents and leading environmentalists.
Proceeds from the EMA Awards secure the future of the organization and its
work within the entertainment industry to encourage TV and film producers
to weave environmental messages into scripts as well as utilizing
celebrities as role models.

Public Web site: http://www.toyota.com

 

Film winners this year were “Hoot,” “Ice Age: The Meltdown,” and “Syriana” and documentary winners were “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Too Hot Not To Handle,” and “Who Killed The Electric Car?“

You may not be able to get your hands on one of the 75 limited edition 2007 Lexus hybrids, but the 2006 RX400h is a great choice according to car reviewers.

Automotive.com reviewed it and said “The RX 400h boasts all the advantages of a hybrid gas-electric vehicle: Emissions are extremely low, reducing your impact on the environment to something in the neighborhood of nil. And it burns about as much gas as a compact car, reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil…. But it’s also fast and powerful.”

CNET points out the positives and negatives, the good being that it has “fast acceleration; unencumbered LCD and separate audio display; versatile rear-seat entertainment system” and the bad being that it bears “grainy LCD map display; no factory option for surround sound or satellite radio; notched feeling in electric power steering.”

The MSRP price range is from $44,660.00 - $48,410.00.

Here are some of the newest hybrids that are now available:

Lexus GS 450h
This compact car has an MSRP price of $55,595, or, if you can afford it, you can opt for the limited edition (pictured above) which was featured in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.  The Lexus GS 450h has EPA mileage figures of 25 city/28 highway.

Toyota Camry Hybrid 4dr Sedan
Like previous versions, the new Toyota Camry comes with either a four-cylinder engine or a V6. But it also has an all-new hybrid drivetrain that makes 192 horsepower (as much as the current 3.0-liter V6 model) while earning EPA mileage figures of 40-43 city and 37-38 highway.  MSRP price is $25,900.

Saturn Vue Hybrid - This SUV is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a Hydra-matic 4-speed automatic transmission.  This has EPA mileage figures of 27 city/32 highway and has an MSRP price of $22,995. 

While these aren’t available yet, you can also expect the following for 2007:

Saturn Aura Hybrid - Midsize car with a 4-cylinder engine and an 4-speed automatic transmission.

Nissan Altima Hybrid - Midsize car.