Last year AllSmallCars.com took a little trip down to New Orleans to check out the prototype version of the Lexus CT 200h. Of course, we were pleasantly surprised with this entry-level luxury hybrid aimed at a younger market that is looking for upscale features with the hot-hatch image. At the time we could see that the car could capture a certain segment of the population—especially those who wanted hybrid mileage, but didn’t want to be seen in a Prius. Might sound snobby, but rolling up in a Lexus and rolling up in a Prius just aren’t the same. There was one problem for the sports car wired part of our brain—power.

Yes, the CT 200h just didn’t really have a lot of poop—especially when compared to other hatches like the 2011 Ford Focus and 2011 Volkswagen Golf. With cars like the Focus creeping up on Lexus, a 0-60 time of over 10 seconds just isn’t going to capture the entire market. See there is this perception that luxury comes with power and speed; the reason Cadillacs of the ‘50s and ‘60s have so much horsepower and some of the biggest production engines. Lexus seems to understand that and is rumored to be producing a hotter version of the CT 200h—The Age reports it will be called the CT 300h. As you might imagine the new hybrid would have a larger gasoline engine and larger electric motors. You can also bet the mpg will go down respectively—though one would think that the hybrid component would still flex well enough to give better than average mpg for the performance segment.

One more point, this car is supposed to be different, according to Left Lane News, than the CT 200h F Sport that was introduced at the Australian International Auto Show in Sydney last October. No performance, mpg or price figures yet, but you can bet we are chomping at the bit to get our hands on the next level of hybrid performance.

 

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[Source: The Age & Left Lane News]