Wider Choices for 2007

Revised badging on the 2007 Lexus RX 400h includes a blue "400h" on the rear door. The blue badge color will be a consistent feature on all Lexus hybrid models. Standard wheels are now 17-inch aluminum alloy, with 18-inch wheels optionally available.

Lexus RX 400h now closely follows the RX 350 in terms of standard and optional equipment by featuring a standard high-quality fabric interior, with leather trim available in several option packages. Lexus RX 400h gains a standard 10-way power front-passenger seat in place of the previous eight-way seat, adding power lumbar adjustment. In addition to the standard brushed aluminum interior accents, customers can now also specify wood trim with any interior color for the 2007 model.

A number of other features previously standard on the 2006 Lexus RX 400h are now offered separately or in option packages in the 2007 model, including: power tilt/telescope steering wheel with memory; power tilt/slide moonroof with one-touch open/close feature and jam protection; memory for driver's seat and outside mirrors; towing-preparation package; roof rack and roof rails; and Dynamic Laser Cruise Control, which measures and maintains a set distance from the vehicle traveling ahead.

The fifth-generation touch-screen Lexus DVD Navigation System with rear back-up camera integrates Bluetooth wireless capability and voice activation and is now offered in an option package with the Mark Levinson audio system. Customers can order High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with the Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS), which helps to illuminate a turn or curve as the driver steers into it, as a stand-alone option for 2007. The available DVD rear-seat entertainment system features a new, larger nine-inch LCD screen.


Lexus Hybrid Drive Technology

The Lexus Hybrid Drive system is one of the most advanced powertrains in the world, yet it operates so seamlessly that it enhances the luxury experience rather than calling attention to itself. The system combines a V6 engine with a high-torque electric drive motor-generator. In the all-wheel-drive model only, an additional, rear-mounted electric-drive motor generator provides on-road all-wheel-drive capability.

With a combined system output of approximately 268 horsepower, and more significantly, 3,500 lb.-ft. of axle torque at launch, Lexus RX 400h delivers rapid acceleration. At 7.3 seconds (7.5 for all-wheel drive model), acceleration from zero to 60 mph is better than many V8-powered competitors.

The Lexus RX 400h is defined as a "full hybrid," which means that it is capable of operating in electric-only or gas-engine-only modes as well as a mode that combines the power of the gas engine and electric motor. Lexus hybrid technology allows extended electric-mode operation during low speed or stop-and-go driving conditions, reducing fuel consumption and noise. In contrast, other hybrid technologies require constant gas-engine operation.

Lexus RX 400h uses a 3.3-liter V6 gas engine with modifications to the Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) systems to promote smooth integration with the hybrid system. Energy is stored by a 288-volt DC Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack that fits neatly under the rear seat. The battery's power is directed through a "boost converter" that efficiently raises voltage to 650V DC. An inverter changes this to 650V AC, providing its elevated power to a front-mounted 123-kW electric motor that turns as high as 12,400 rpm.

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