A QUIET REVOLUTION

YARIS HYBRID Everyone knows that green is the new black. It should therefore come as no surprise that Brad, Angelina, Jennifer, George and Leonardo are among an everincreasing list of A-listers who have opted to sashay down Rodeo Drive in hybrids. While some may balk at the idea of the Hollywood jet set flaunting their organic Free Trade cotton T-shirts, there is no denying that the human race is heading towards an environmental meltdown unless some serious green-fingered intervention takes place. Now we arent claiming to have found the cure for global warming, but there are three incontrovertible truths about Toyotas Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD): 1. You will drastically cut down on your fuel consumption; 2. You will radically reduce hazardous emissions (much lower particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions than a diesel, plus theres no particulate filter to go wrong); and 3. You will be helping to protect the environment. The new Yaris HSD epitomises this ethos. The downsized hybrid system combines a substantially re-engineered 1.5 litre petrol engine with a lighter, more compact electric motor, transaxle, inverter and battery pack. With low fuel consumption (average fuel consumption of just 3.8 l/100km), low environmental impact, strong acceleration, great manoeuvrability and unique allelectric EV capabilities, it represents the ultimate urban car.

FAST FACTS: 3.8 l/100 km 1.5 litre petrol engine Maximum 74kW system output

The Hybrid Synergy Drive system has been specifically designed for low maintenance and outstanding durability. *Priced from R196 316

feel good car. Yes driving with a conscience should be first priority; however, you need to look as good as you feel. Thats where Lexus came to the party. The CT200h F-Sport is a superb ride. Its looks as good as it drives. Pure perfection! The one obstacle I had was that it doesnt live up to the Sports branding; you just need to sit back and realise you are not buying this car for speed; you are buying it for what it stands for. One of my favourite features has been the instrument panel. Using the drive mode select swapping between sports mode and eco mode, it literally lights up your way. The entire panel is electronic and your normal rev gage and speedometer has a feisty red background. When switching over to eco mode your rev gage turns into your 'eco meter' and blue lights lead the way showing you whether your car is charging, if youre driving in the best eco level, and what power you are using. FAST FACTS: They call this the new face of hybrid, 4.1 litres/100km I think they called it correctly. The first Emits 94g of CO p/km thing that gets compromised when these automotive giants bring out Combined power output hybrids is the exterior, not with Lexus. of 100kW With its stylish exterior, unprecedented quality and dynamic presence, the CT defines luxury without compromise. *Starting from R359 000.00

Elegance meets eco-friendly

LEXUs CT 200H Whether youre a fan or not is irrelevant. Toyota has been dominating the scene when it comes to eco-friendly cars. One of their most infamous ones being the Prius. The problem with the Prius is that it has a stigma attached to it. Its more your family
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VW goes green
VW CC TDI

FAST FACTS: VW CC 2.0 TDI 5.5/100km BlueMotion Technology 6-speed DSG 125kW @ 4 200 r/min

The general hybrid tends to be more expensive than its non-eco-counterpart, however, the clever Germans turned around and said, STOP, collaborate and listen; this is VW with a brand new invention. Countering the ever-worrying economy, VW and their CC eliminates the worries of a R7 000pm payment on your attempt to live a more sustainable life. For those who dont know, the CC is basically built on the concept of the Passat. Anyone that knows a thing or two about the underrated working class vehicles can tell you the Passat is the King of the jungle in its class. The engine is an incredibly smooth unit. It effortlessly moves the CC

along, mated with VWs DSG gearbox, theres absolutely no delay in changing gears. One thing that has always boggled my mind was the delay that you get as soon as you use the paddle shifts, but not with the CC. To top it off, the 2.0l TDI has ample power to get the bigger body of the CC moving, and doing it so smoothly and quietly making it quite a dream to drive. Carrying a 2.0 TDI top of the range engine that puts out 125kW and 4 200r/min, taking it from 0-100km/h in 8.6seconds, this should be the next best family/ executive car of choice. Not the speediest, but who wants extreme speed when you get the rewarding peace of mind knowing that you have indeed made the better choice in preserving your environment, country and world. BlueMotion technology definitely the way to go! *Starting from R377 500

Takes your breath away,

and gives it back to the environment Lexus GS450h As a young journalist at the prime of my life, I get to drive new vehicle after new vehiclea fundis dream. Driving more cars in a month, than some people will get to drive in a life time. The only area of my profession I have not enjoyed was when the opportunity arose to drive sedans as these were considered old school and designed specifically for your older generation, the corporate highflyers. Well, that perception was blown straight out the window last week. Whoever said bigger isnt always better, has never driven a Lexus GS450h. In a nutshell, I drove an amazing piece of flawless engineering and I got to keep a clean conscience while doing so. The GS450h is the ultimate package. Unlike its brother the CT200h, the sports feature on this baby is what it says it is! Fire up the 3.5-litre V6 and you hit zero to 100 in 6.1 seconds, absolutely worth the badge that it sports. The GS means business. The h following the GS450 is very straight forward and stands for hybrid. While delivering 345 Nm of torque, it kicks out a maximum of 213 kW. This is accompanied by a powerful electric motor and high voltage battery to boost total system output to 252kW. The electric motor also adds a further 275 Nm for impressive response. Navigation commands, audio settings and other selected information can also be viewed in the Head-Up Display. One of my favourite gadgets in a long time!

FAST FACTS: GS450h 3.5 V6 6.2/100km RWD (Rear Wheel Drive) E-CVT 213kW @ 6 000r/min

Beauty and brains! The ultimate long-term companion! This is most definitely not a one night stand. This is, first comes love, then comes marriage and then comes the carbon tax and it makes me happy. *Starting from R776 300