Suggested retail: about $32,000 for two-wheel drive, $36,000 if you
want to go four-wheeling (minus options, taxes, and delivery).
To Those Who Wait
Didn't find your favorite vehicle on the mirror-image list? You
might get lucky in '06. Aside from a much-hoped-for round of bigger
numbers and better sales ahead, the automakers are also preparing
to take the wraps off a series of new hybrids, including the Lexus
GS 450h, the first hybrid luxury sedan. A hybrid Chevrolet Malibu
sedan and a hybrid
Nissan Altima are slated for 2007, and hybrid
Chevy
Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs are scheduled to hit the road in
'08. Dodge may choose to offer its
Ram hybrid, the first
diesel/electric combo, to the general public; it's available only
to fleet customers now.
GM, like its competitors, is also developing a fuel-cell technology
that promises to take the fuel-efficiency drive to a whole new
level. Until then, it looks like hybrid is here to stay.
1 Lexus RX 400h
The trick about transforming a Lexus RX 330 into a hybrid is that
it forced engineers to think inside the box.
"If you scale [the Prius's hybrid technology] to be powerful enough
for the RX, it gets big," Hermance says. "We had to redesign the
transmission to make it more compact while powerful. You had to get
the required power in the available space."
In addition to the RX 330's features like high-end stereo equipment
and luxe materials, the 400h has voice control for the onboard
navigation unit and for hands-free operation of your cellphone, so
you can dial any call without touching a button. (That's optional,
but it's too cool to ignore.)
Suggested retail: Still to come, but with the RX 330 at a base
price of $37,825 for the all-wheel-drive version, expect the
all-option 400h to top $40,000.