Geneva 2010: Lexus CT 200h

The new small Lexus has been a long time coming. At last year's Frankfurt Auto Show, the LF-CH Concept was introduced, previewing the production version to come. A teaser was released a little bit ago of the car as well.

The introduction in Geneva is fitting given that Lexus intends for the car to spearhead the company's efforts in the European region. There has been various reports as to whether or not the car is coming to the United States.

We awaited the car's introduction anxiously at CarThrottle, hoping it would signal a new direction for the brand. To survive, Lexus has to attract younger customers - and to do so, it needs to make cool products.

Is the CT 200h that product? In short, from the looks of it - no. For all of Toyota Motor Company's woes lately, we must objectively evaluate each new product.

Stylistically the CT 200h breaks no new ground, following in a similar vein to recent introductions the HS 250 H (a Corolla-based, U.S-market only vehicle) and the RX Crossover.

The look actually works good on the RX Crossover, but it doesn't translate over as well to a compact car. It looks too econocar, and just isn't attractive to our eyes. Who knows though, it could be a big success? We've been wrong before!

Hmm, where have we seen this before?  We are seeing a bit of BMW in there - this definitely isn't a traditional Lexus interior.

And that's a very good thing - unlike the exterior, the interior looks very good. The dash has a nice, well-thought out design.

It is a bit dark (remedied by a different interior color) and a bit busy maybe, but the overall look is sporty and upscale. Way to go, Lexus.

The h designation in 200h indicates the car has a standard hybrid drivetrain. The gas engine is a 1.8-liter VVT-i gas unit combined with an electric motor.

No specifications have been announced, like horsepower or fuel economy. The car does have four modes. ECO and NORMAL place emphasis on efficiency and comfort, says Lexus, while SPORT "focuses on dynamic performance."

It should be pretty quick given the performance of past Lexus hybrids that emphasize sport. That's three modes - the fourth is EV, the much-discussed mode that allows for electric-only propulsion for about 1.2 miles at speeds up to 28 miles per hour.

Lexus says the CT 200h is on a new platform. We'll see if the car makes it to the U.S, but we wouldn't expect it to be a smash hit.