2013 Lexus GS hybrid gets big mpg boost

Lexus unveiled the 2013 GS 450h at the Frankfurt Motor Show, asserting that it will be a true high-performance sport sedan even though it's a gas-electric hybrid that Lexus says should win government fuel economy ratings some 30% better than the current GS hybrid.

Lexus has been selling a GS hybrid since the 2007 model, and this one is an update. Rival Infiniti began selling a hybrid version of its competing M-series sports sedan last March. Two key players, then, believe high-dollar hot-shoes have a green streak.

The Infiniti starts at $54,575, or $6,000 more than the similarly equippped gasoline model. You're unlikely ever to save enough money on fuel to recover the hybrid premium. But you get to feel good about yourself.

Test Drive reviewed the Infininti M35h here.

Lexus didn't announce pricing of the 2013 GS, but did say it will go on sale early next spring.

The Infiniti M hybrid is rated 360 hp and 27/32/29 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. The gasoline model, called M37, is 18/26/21.

The Lexus is 338 hp. If its mpg rating goes up 30% across the board, it would be 29/33/30 (rounding to the nearest whole number on each calculation. The government allows rounding, too, when automakers convert from the lab-test results to the more-or-less real-world mileage numbers used on the window sticker.)

The gas version of the Lexus, called GS 350, is 19/26/22. That's close enough to the current GS hybrid's numbers that it's a silly financial proposition to pay more for the current hybrid. If the gasoline car's mpg stays the same, the 30% boost for the hybrid gives it a larger fuel-economy benefit.