- 2014 Lexus CT 200h View
- Interior / Exterior »
The bulk of the 2014 upgrades, in fact, have to do with design, both exterior and interior, plus newly added features. In addition to the grille, both front and rear plastic bumper covers and fascias have been redesigned, and the 17-inch alloy wheels get a new design as well. The trailing edge of the roof now sports a “sharkfin” radio aerial, and the license-light bulbs are now LEDs (will anyone notice?).
The updates have been applied to the same low, slab-sided hatchback with thick roof pillars that’s been on sale since the 2011 model year. Overall, the CT’s shape blends Lexus’s flowing L-finesse design language—including smoothly curved lines and gently arced back pillars—with a pert, almost aggressive hatchback shape.
The rear window has an unusual wraparound appearance, extending into the rear pillars, and a long spoiler extends from the roof over the short tailgate. The thin, tapered taillights give it a taut look, and altogether, the shape has worn well–even if it doesn’t appear as sporty today as it did when it was launched.
Inside, the digital screens in the dashboard display have been updated, there’s a new steering wheel, and several minor details have changed. Two examples: the scuff plates are now metal, not plastic, along with several new color treatments for trim and upholstery. Stylish two-tone interior trim combinations are more adventurous than in any other Lexus model, set off by ash burl, bamboo, or black wood trim, or silver metal trim.
Unusual color options– sparkly Daybreak Yellow Mica and Matador Red Mica tones, or light, glossy Starfire Pearl and Tungsten Pearl shades–join the usual silver, charcoal, and black found on every luxury model.
The few small updates for 2014 don’t change the basic interior, which is upscale and conveys almost a mechanical influence–a world away from the hard plastics and Space Age dash displays in hybrids from Toyota itself. The low-set dashboard is marked by horizontal creases, with a thick center console jutting upward. Most of the minor controls are in the console, with displays in the upper zone.
- Performance »
The 98-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine is mated to Toyota’s two-motor Hybrid Synergy Drive system, for a total power output of 134 horsepower. Under the rear deck, a 1.4-kilowatt-hour nickel-metal-hydride battery stores energy from the engine and regenerative braking, and returns it when needed to add to torque from the engine. Under light loads, and at lower speeds, the electric motor can propel the car alone up to about 25 mph. There’s also an “EV” mode switch that keeps the car running electric-only until the battery pack is depleted.
Driven gently, the Lexus CT is neither energetic nor sporty. But if you can ignore the engine roar when delivering maximum power, and the slightly disapproving Eco gauge, the car gets considerably peppier. Switch into the Sport mode, which reprograms the hybrid performance, power delivery, acceleration, and other control systems for more aggressive power delivery, and it gets more fun yet. Even under just part throttle, the Sport mode gives full electric assist, and best of all, the blue-rimmed power gauge morphs into a red-rimmed tachometer. The handling and retuning together make the CT feel more fun than its 0-to-60-mph of 10 seconds would indicate.
The CT has some European chassis tuning underneath, so its roadholding is far superior to any Prius model. It turns into curves crisply, and will hustle along surprisingly quickly without compromising passenger comfort. The suspension is firm, the electric power steering offers some road feel (in Sport mode, anyhow), and yet there’s little road harshness transmitted into the cabin.
The CT has a few drawbacks as a driver’s car, including its Prius-style shift selector knob and a lack of paddle shifters to simulate fixed gears. And the engine can drone under steady loads–think long stretches of uphill freeway. And while there’s a “B” mode that increases engine braking and battery charging for long downhill stretches, we suspect most drivers will never use it.
The 2014 Lexus CT 200h continues into its fourth model year as the least expensive and smallest model offered by Toyota’s luxury brand. It remains both its sole hachback and its only compact car, and it also remains the only luxury hybrid compact hatchback offered for sale–as it has been since 2011. The CT gets a handful of mild updates this year, including a new grille and some interior tweaks, and while it has never sold in great volume, it’s considered a low-key success in the Lexus lineup.
Its mission is to offer a fun-to-drive car with a likeable character to younger buyers who haven’t before considered a Lexus. They may be Prius buyers seeking a little more luxe, or more traditional luxury buyers who’ve decided they can downsize. Either way, like the RX crossover that not only dominates its luxury mid-size crossover segment but serves as the brand’s U.S. mainstay, the little CT is backstopped by a long list of standard and available features.
A new grille and front fascia give this year’s CT a frontal appearance far more closely aligned with the newer models in the Lexus lineup. The design starts with the “spindle” grille shape, and includes redesigned front and rear bumper fascias and a new design for the 17-inch alloy wheels. There are a host of little detail changes, including a roof-mounted “sharkfin” to replace the old-style aerial, plus LED bulbs for the license lamps. Otherwise, the shape of the compact hatchback remains the same: a low, somewhat aggressive and slab-sided body with a long, flat roof ending in a spoiler, standard alloy wheels, and the right amount of chrome to make it sparkle and set it apart from drab economy cars of the same size and body style.
Inside, the CT’s interior is roomy in front and acceptable in the rear. It’s a lower car than a Prius–and almost 6 inches shorter–and the driver sits low with legs more extended than in other compacts, but headroom in generous in that position. Luxury is conveyed by a wide center console dropping down from a broad, horizontal instrument panel. The console contains enough controls, switches, knobs, and displays to indicate that this is a luxury car with features galore. New inside this year is a redesigned steering wheel, updated display screens in the dashboard, and more minor details like a metal scuff plate to replace the previous plastic one. New interior colors complete the upgrades for 2014.
The rear seats fold flat, which may be a configuration used often by childless couples who decide this is a nicer alternative than the distinctive, numb driving of a Prius. The one flaw is the high load floor, due to the battery located underneath, with enough height only for grocery bags before impeding the view rearward through the slit-like tailgate window.
The powertrain of the CT remains unchanged even as the styling has been refreshed: It pairs a 98-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system. This is, essentially, a Prius powertrain in a smaller but far more refined vehicle. A nickel-metal-hydride battery pack under the rear load deck powers, and is recharged by, a pair of motor-generators that power the car alone at low speeds, add torque to supplement the engine output, and act as generators to recharge the battery on engine overrun and during regenerative braking.
Being a Lexus, the CT hybrid is tuned quite differently than the Prius whose powertrain it shares. It’s meant to be more sporty, and the Sport mode not only remaps the electronic responses to acceleration and braking, it also cleverly converts the power gauge into a tachometer with red lighting around its edges. The car responds well and is surprisingly agile for a Lexus, but its numb electric power steering–a chronic Toyota weak spot–is simply uncompetitive with the best from Audi or Volvo.
The hybrid system really delivers in gas mileage, though. No other even somewhat-hot hatch gets ratings anywhere near its EPA combined rating of 42 mpg, and we saw a real-world 40 mpg in mixed use that included some quite spirited driving. Ignore the CT’s Eco gauge, get used to its loud engine roar when it’s revved, and your driving will be surprisingly fun–and the gas mileage will still be at the top of the charts. Other cars are creeping up slowly–we suspect the new 2014 Mazda 3 may approach that number, without resorting to a hybrid drivetrain–but for now, the CT remains the king of the compact luxury hill.
The 2014 Lexus CT has a lengthy list of features, both standard and optional, that starts with keyless ignition, Bluetooth hands-free pairing for voice and audio streaming, iPod control, SiriusXM satellite radio, and the Lexus Safety Connect system. The options list includes–among many other choices–rain-sensing windshield wipers, LED headlamps (joined this year by LED fog lamps), and the Lexus Enform navigation and real-time information system. Finally, dealers offer a further list of items under the Lexus F-Sport label that can both improve performance and further upgrade the car’s appearance.
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