looks good

With introduction of the HS-250h at the NAIAS just a few weeks away, you think we'd be seeing some quality 2010 Prius type shots by now.

There could be anything under all that cardboard and tape!

i think that HS250 looks really really good... very different from Prius - which is very Toyota (use same platform on cars that dont look or feel anything alike)....

In the front bumper, you see the same "spots" as in the 2010 for the headlight washer and the sonar type sensors. What's up with the long antenna from the middle of the roof?

From the second view, the gas tank door is not circular like the 2010 Prius. Hey look, there is a shark fin.

Why did they block the lower part of the triangle window for the back door? Is there something significant to it?

Again, like the 2010 Prius, I don't see the exhaust pipe in the rear. A great signature of a clean car. Cool!

I think the HS250 is based on the Camry Hybrid not the Prius. The media reports I've seen state the HS250 will have a 2.4L engine and be marketed above the IS in price.

The Camry Hybrid uses a 2.4L engine and the IS starts at $36K.

I predict the HS250 will be a rebadged Camry Hybrid with a new front clip, rear clip and interior. It will be priced about $40K and top out at $50K fully loaded. That keeps it below the GS450h which starts at $56K. It also takes Lexus back to it's roots. The Lexus brand started in 1990 with the ES250, a rebadged Camry, and continues with today with the ES350.

i thought it looked more camry-like than prius-like as well. but lexus has gone beyond rebadging. even the es250 had its significant differences from the 2g camry, way back in 1990.

vehicles dont need to look similar in order to share same basic "platform"... looks pretty unique and i like that a lot...

No they don't. The Toyota Yaris, Scion xB, and Scion xA are good example of 3 cars the share a platform but look very different.

However, this new Lexus looks a lot like a Camry:






Notice the roofline from the A-pillar to the C-pillar. I would say the the Camry and HS250h will share a roof along with most of the chassis components.

The HS250h will have a unique look from the A-pillar forward, taillights and rear valance. It will of course have a upgraded interior and more sound deadening.

Again, only my opinion, we will see at the unveil on 11-Jan-09.

I'm wondering how different this will be from the ES. I always thought the ES was similar to the Camry, but I'm guessing the new ES 350 (which is supposed to be phenomenal) is similar to the Avalon, and the HS will come back closer to the Camry?

if you look at that picture again, you will notice how windows on HS250h are larger than windows on Camry, aswell as that small glass in front of the side mirrors thats not there in the Camry... They are similar as two sedans of similar shape would be...

I just hope they didn't make it into a cramped minicar, like the IS. The Prius is a limousine compared to the IS!

If it has the Camry 2.4L ICE and HSD, it would have 3.3L equivlant performace (last gen Camry V6). It would then be named HS-33Oh.

not really, they mean V6 performance, so in this case V6 2.5l, which is 210-220hp, depending on the market...

Since the car would be based on Prius, imagine one size larger vehicle with same hybrid components - it would be quite nice.

HSD normally add about 1 liter performance due to the HV battery power.

For example:

RX 330 -> RX 400h added 0.7l
RX 450 -> RX 450h will add 1.0l
GS 350 -> GS 450h added 1.0l
LS 600h added 1.0l from the 5.0l gas engine. The LS 460 has 4.6l V8.

Now, the HS250h will have the HV battery with 0.7l to 1.0l power. This leaves room for the gas engine to make the power of 1.5l to 1.8l.

maybe HS250h will have smaller engine than Prius?



it is speed/power approximation to V6 engine - so 210-220hp... or 40 hp more than Camry.