Although U.S. consumers are not known to choose hatchbacks over sedans, Lexus is counting on fuel efficiency of their hybrid and its sporty handling to win over consumers to the side of the Lexus CT 200h. The 200h will only have the 2010 Mini Cooper and the A3 from Audi as its competitions.

The 2011 CT 200h will use a new platform that has a MacPherson struts in front and a trailing arm and double wishbone on the rear. This is just one aspect to fulfill their commitment to provide a sporty ride experience combined with superior handling for the CT 200h.

The hybrid system under its hood will be the same as the 1.8L 2010 Prius from Toyota. The HS 250h has a more powerful engine with a 2.5L displacement. The 200h can run on pure electricity just for about a mile while cruising at around 28 mph.

Aside from the Normal, Eco, and EV modes, the CT 200h will have a Sport mode that will give the driver faster response in terms of steering and the throttle.

The S500 PHEV is another step towards the goal of Mercedes Benz to achieve their goal of mobility with zero emissions. The car relies on a V6 gas engine that works in combination with a 44kW electric motor which can output 60 horsepower. The system depends on lithium ion batteries that can store as much as 10kWh of energy.

The hybrid set up works well with the overall configuration of the vehicle. The Vision S500 can go from 0 to 100 km/h in a matter of 5.5 seconds. Despite the power and the speed, the S500 can still give you an excellent fuel mileage of 73.5 mpg. The 74 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer add to the other great numbers the car gives consumers.

The Vision S500 PHEV may take a while before we see it rolling out of the Mercedes Benz dealerships. The car manufacturer though promises the public that their engineers are crunching the numbers to make the car fit for long distance and everyday driving. The features are very ideal and the top executives of Benz see the car joining the S- Class releases of the near future.

The technology used for this PHEV might well be used for the other vehicles of the Mercedes Benz fleet. This is very feasible because of the compact components which will allow the car maker to package it with their other products.

The Vision S500 PHEV can run for 30 km on electric power alone. The range is very ideal for city driving. Just imagine the effects when cars roam the streets without any emission. The car makes use of the combustion engine in tandem with the electric motors when more power is needed during high speed driving and when dealing with inclines.

The Vision definitely gives us a glimpse of the future.