CT 200h global tour leaves the Distillery District

Lexus Live at the Distillery District

This weekend I had the chance to check out the the Lexus CT 200h global tour on their first stop at the Toronto Distillery District. The Saturday show featured the band The Midway State for an open air performance on the brick paved street that runs through the distilleries. There were four shows in total; Lily Frost, Paper Lions, and The Stills rounded out the rest of the weekend.

Hit the jump for photos of the 2011 CT 200h up close and personal.

2011 Lexus CT 200h Matador Mica

Seeing the car in person with bands playing was very entertaining. This will be Lexus' smallest vehicle in the lineup and no doubt the most efficient. The CT shares the basic drive train with the Toyota Prius which should make for 75mpg city and highway ratings. Styling is elegant but there is no hiding the hatchback. The musical guests make it obvious that Lexus is going after a younger buyer who will appreciate the functionality of a hatchback with split folding seats. Think of it as a sexier, more involved, drive than a Prius.

Ct 200h Interior. Remote Touch Controller visible.

The interior is thoughtfully laid out and the seats comfortable. They have some of the tightest bolsters this side of an IS-F which makes for a sporty feel. Fit and finish is excellent as you'd expect of most Lexus vehicles but the guides were quick to point out that these are pre-production prototypes which lacked glowing Lexus door sill covers. Navigation equipped models will have the fantastic Lexus Remote Touch controller to handle the task of infotainment inputs.

Hatchback Cargo Capacity

Power comes from a 1.8L gas engine with Hybrid Atkinson Cycle engine and should be rated about 135hp. If only Lexus can find a way to turn out a few more ponies than Prius from the electric mill, I think they will have a real winner.

1.8l Atkinson Cycle engine

The interior will feature heavy use of Bio Plastics like its big brother the one year old 2010 HS 250h. This ecoplastic is derived from bamboo fibers and saves the use of petroleum while converting CO2 to Oxygen through the natural life cycle of the bamboo. The end product is also completely recyclable and biodegradable.

Bamboo on one side. Eco Polymer Speakers Cones on the other.

Friendly associates were on hand with Lexus CT 200h bottled water and to answer any questions about the new model. Wrist bands with unique codes were handed out so you could provide feedback to Lexus about the vehicle and hand over your personal information by completing sign up forms on Apple Ipads. Also in attendance were various media outlets including our friends from the LexusEnthusiast.com. Guests could use Ipads to interact with the CT 200h

Lexus Canada also brought along their Targa Newfoundland jewel the Lexus GS 450h. This car won its class in the famous road rally across the Rock. The car has a stripped interior, racing seats, full roll cage, racing wheels, and sticky tires but the 340hp Hybrid engine remains unmodified.

Targa Newfoundland GS 450h

For anyone who hasn't visited the Distillery District it was a beautiful atmosphere. The brick streets are surrounded by even more brick comprising the old Distillery buildings. More than two wedding parties had made their way to this scenic location with the hopes of capturing some shots smooching in this anachronistic area of downtown Toronto. The next stop for the international tour is Chicago and then on to New York and Los Angeles.

Retail launch planned for Spring 2011