Automakers aim for green nirvana in Detroit

That means that it has the noise-quelling insulation, beefy suspension attachments and special engine mounts of other Lexus models — all there to filter the unwanted noise, vibration and harshness that are abundant in most efficiency-minded cars. The little Lexus has 10-way power adjustable leather seats, a moon roof and a monster sound system, so if despite all the amenities its occupants are still suffering, it won’t be in silence.

The HS 250h uses a 2.4-liter gas engine for the conventional portion of its propulsion. This is a much larger engine than even the bigger one in the new Prius, giving the Lexus more of the “oomph” luxury buyers expect. Despite all of the heavy hardware and bigger engine, gas mileage for the HS 250 will be good. Official EPA fuel economy numbers aren’t yet available, but the company said its mileage will top the 33 miles per gallon city rating of the Smart minicar.

The Lexus is a real production car that consumers will be able to buy next summer, so we will soon see what the real demand is for this type of product. But the HS 250h is handicapped by a distinctly eco-car silhouette, unlike Caddy’s racy Converj concept. It remains to be seen how interested luxury buyers are in a premium car that looks a lot like an economy car. 

“Introducing the buyer to your brand with the most blandly styled vehicle in your lineup is a tough way to get them excited about it,” observed Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of product analysis for AutoPacific Inc.

The Ford Fusion hybrid introduced at the show has similar technical specifications to the HS 250h, and it’s the same basic vehicle as the fancier Lincoln MKZ, so it would appear that Lincoln could quickly jump into the market for fuel-sipping luxury cars.

But spokesman Mark Schirmer said that the company views the market for such a car as too small.

Instead, Lincoln showed the Lincoln C — a concept car that represents how the brand could move into the small car segment using Ford’s new EcoBoost small-displacement turbocharged gas powertrains to achieve high fuel economy.

The stubby Lincoln C concept highlights how the brand can move into the market for compact cars, said Ford Motor Co. vice president of design J Mays. Mercedes, Audi and others already sell cars in the compact segment, and the Lincoln C is a demonstration of what Lincoln could do if it decided to build an economical city car, he explained.

The small 1.6-liter EcoBoost turbocharged gasoline engine is a less expensive way to achieve much of the fuel economy benefit of diesel or hybrid drivetrains, according to Ford. The Lincoln C would score 43 MPG on the EPA city test, the company said — a 25 percent improvement over the company’s current 2.0-liter Ford Fiesta compact car.

However, even bigger cars are getting more efficient, pointed out Brinley. A much roomier MKZ fitted with the Fusion’s hybrid drivetrain would get about the same 41 MPG combined fuel economy as the Fusion.

“The difference [in fuel economy] isn’t enough between it and bigger cars,” she said.

Of course, consumers buy Mini Coopers and Smarts today that get worse gas mileage than that, choosing them because they are small, so perhaps that “think small” could benefit a compact Lincoln in the future.

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