| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 BMW 730d: the height of luxury! What could be more suited to the Renaissance splendour of the Val de Loire with its châteaux and gardens than the new BMW 730d, a classic, sporty saloon that is all about power and restraint. A chrome-clad princess which will undoubtedly receive the warmest of welcomes from these fairytale residences.
| On the road Lexus RX 400h: the first hybrid 4x4 By G. Rouzeau The first hybrid-engine luxury 4X4, the Lexus RX 400h, following the example of the Toyota Prius (Lexus is Toyota's upmarket branch), is a concentration of technologies which far from neglects the pleasures of driving.
In France, as of 1st January 2006, a new system of Carte Grise vehicle registration taxation, indexed to the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, will be put in place. This measure should logically make this hybrid 4X4, whose CO2 emissions of 192 g per kilometre are just below the 200 g limit set by the government, more appealing... Restraint and comfort Reprising the lines of its sibling RX 300 but for a few details (a new, more sporty bumper, a fan-shaped mesh grille, front foglamps and electro-luminescent diodes in the tail lights), the RX 400h is a model of aesthetic restraint. This is almost a challenge in the 4X4 universe, where manga-style “high-energy” bodyshells abound. With its flowing lines and modest size of an elevated muscular estate car, the RX 400h is easy on the eye (all the better) and boasts an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.33.
The light and luminous interior is welcoming and combines quality materials that are pleasant to the touch, with numerous aluminium inserts (the RX 300 was more into wood), all with impeccable finish. Our Pack Président* model offers an irresistible ultra-complete set of top-of-the-range equipment, including a reversing camera, which turns out to be very useful. The dashboard is particularly easy to read and has at its centre a computer with all the functions on a touch screen, and notably GPS navigation on DVD (see box). Personally we could not get enough of the little hi-fi system (with independent controls) designed by Mark Levinson, which is both CD and MP3 compatible. Thanks to the 11 speakers, tweeters and woofers made from high-tech materials, a high-quality acoustic environment reigns onboard the Lexus. And it won't be disturbed by the mechanical noise of start-up!
 The advantages of dual motorisation As we have known since we tested the Toyota Prius (see our article), a hybrid vehicle starts up and runs without any noise up to 20 kph (12.5 mph), driven only by its first electric motor, located at the front. In effect, the Lexus RX 400h has a thermal engine, but also two electric motors (the second one drives the back wheels), with a combined output of 272 hp. The rear electric motor is only called upon in the event of loss of traction of the front axle, or if the vehicle should skid, for example. Toyota has also done away with all mechanical connections between the front and rear and therefore the transmission shaft this weight saving partly compensating for the weight of the electric batteries. As on the Prius, the screen makes it possible to display the power distribution in real time, while another screen located behind the steering wheel displays the power in use at all times (expressed in hp).
The joy of driving the Lexus is carrying out all the little daily manoeuvres taking it out of the garage, parallel parking, parking for a moment in front of the post office in remarkable acoustic comfort. What's more, the constant stopping and starting of the thermal engine is imperceptible! This is moreover why a diesel-engine hybrid Lexus, tailor-made for the French market, is not going to happen in a hurry: diesel-engine vibration is so much more difficult to reduce... When we set off to attack the A1 motorway in the direction of the Forest of Compiègne, the Lexus RX 400h, like Janus, reveals its other face: that of an extraordinarily powerful car (although still just as well soundproofed) which accelerates from 0-100 kph (0-62mph) in under 7.6 s. On narrow roads, the RX 400h handles almost like a small supermini, although of course with more sluggishness and less bite. With each silent manoeuvre, at a forest roundabout for example, you reach the same conclusion: pollution is not just about noxious particle emissions but also includes noise, which is completely absent at slow speeds. If hybrid engines are the way of the future, one single obstacle could put a spoke in the wheels of the RX 400h: its price, which in the UK ranges from £35,480 to £44,345 OTR (for the SE-L). *The models available in the UK are the RX 400h, RX 400h SE and RX 400h SE-L.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
