Did you know that the Lexus was mass produced by Toyota, the Japanese car company that makes Corollas and Highlanders? Well, they do, and they’re second only to Ford Motor Company’s Escape Hybrid vehicle. The Lexus RX 400h Hybrid is the Lexus 350 with a newly designed electric motor. It has also been labeled as the world’s first luxury hybrid car. That’s not to say it was the first hybrid, just the first luxury hybrid. Lexus have a reputation for being affordable luxury cars, and their SUVs don’t fail in that department, either.

The Lexus RX 400h Hybrid can definitely hold its own against the competition. JD Power and Associates ranked it among one of four SUVs for being recognized as part of the Automotive Environmental Index in 2006. This index ranks the thirty most environmentally friendly and eco-friendly vehicles. They also recognize the fuel efficient hybrid as one of the best luxury vehicles for their 2005 Automotive Design, Execution and Performance Study. With so many people concerned about emissions, ozone damage and global warming, The Lexus RX 400h Hybrid is an excellent choice for a hybrid SUV.

This hybrid was launched in January 2004 at the North American International Auto Show, a few months after the Ford Escape Hybrid was unveiled. The Escape was so well received that it was obvious that the Lexus RX 400h Hybrid would also be received. It was an immediate success and the Escape suddenly became a competitor. In addition, Lexus is Toyota’s high-end product, so fans of the vehicle expected it to be stylish and attractive.

This SUV has been described as “handsome”. It has been aimed at attractions that are environmentally aware. It is a mid-size luxury hybrid SUV that is sophisticated and definitely tries to attract the attention of the upper class. The 2008 model of the Lexus RX 400h Hybrid has a few updates, namely chrome door handles, a new front grill, rear spoiler, and shiny 18-inch wheels. This is the first time that Toyota and Lexus designed and developed a vehicle that was designed for a particular finance class.

This SUV was designed and developed to compete with other SUVs such as the BMW X3, Hummer H3, Acura RDX, Land Rover LR3, Infiniti FX35 / FX45, Mercury Mariner, Volvo XC90 and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. Talk about your serious competition. Fuel economy with its own attractive features, the Lexus RX 400h Hybrid is definitely one of the best on the consumer market.