Lexus touts their GS 450h in response to London's Congestion Charges

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Lexus would like to remind drivers who frequent the city of London that the GS450h is a credible sports sedan which falls well below the maximum penalty which will be in effect as part of the upcoming Congestion Charge. Emitting 185g/km of CO₂ will allow for a daily charge of £8, as compared to the £25 maximum penalty which many performance and luxury vehicles will be subject to.

We're not going to dispute the facts as presented by Lexus, but we'll also stop well short of suggesting that the GS 450h is the eco-friendly choice (there are certainly other options). Still, its comparatively low emissions, along with its 35.8mpg in the combined cycle, give a possible reason to choose it over some of its rivals, if for none other than to save some extra cash.

After the break, Lexus provides a chart comparing the power, acceleration, CO₂ emissions, combined fuel economy and congestion charges of the BMW 540i, Jaguar XF and Audi A6 4.2 V8 FSI against its own GS450h. Very thoughtful of them, wouldn't you say?

Press Release:

PERFORMANCE WITH NO PENALTY: A CAPITAL IDEA FROM LEXUS

Is October's increase in the daily London congestion charge the end for high-performance cars in the capital?

Lexus says not, thanks to its GS 450h. The fast and stylish hybrid is currently exempt from the congestion charge and, from October, will attract a daily charge of only £8 compared to the £25 paid by its high-polluting rivals.

While the escalating cost of driving a premium sports model in the city may give potential Porsche, Jaguar and BMW owners second thoughts, the Lexus GS 450h is a more than credible alternative that delivers performance, elegance and luxury. Critically, the Lexus only emits 185g/km of CO2 – less even than many mass-market family saloons – and costs no more to drive down Bond Street than an everyday hatchback.

More than that, existing owners and those who buy a GS 450h before October, can drive charge-free until 2010. But that's only part of the story.

Not only does the GS 450h's technically brilliant hybrid power system give clean and fuel-efficient performance, it also delivers genuine sports performance. The combination of a V6 petrol engine and powerful electric motor produces 341bhp and maximum torque right from zero rpm, enabling sub-six-second acceleration from nought to 62mph. Those figures put models such as the BMW 540i, Jaguar XF and Audi A6 4.2 V8 FSI in the shade and the GS looms large in the rear view mirror of performance icon, the Porsche 911 3.6 Carrera.

And none of those models comes anywhere near achieving the Lexus's fuel economy of 35.8mpg (combined cycle), let alone its reduced CO2 levels.

Simply put, there are precious few other cars that offer such high performance and luxury without incurring the full force of the C-Charge.

	LEXUS GS 450h	BMW 540i (auto)	JAGUAR XF 4.2 V8 (auto)	PORSCHE 911 3.6 CARRERA (auto)	AUDI A6 4.2 FSI Quattro (auto)
Max. power (bhp)	341	306	298	325	350
0-62mph (secs)	5.9	6.2	6.5	5.5	5.9
CO2 emissions (g/km)	185	232	264	270	257
Fuel economy (combined cycle mpg)	35.8	29.1	25.3	25.2	26.2
C-Charge until 2010	£0	£8	£8	£8	£8
C-Charge from 2010	£8	£25	£25	£25	£25

[Source: Lexus]