Updated Lexus CT200h here by year’s end

LEXUS Australia has confirmed the refreshed CT200h will arrive in local showrooms sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, bringing reworked styling and more interior options to the luxury hybrid hatchback.

While exact Australian specification has yet to be confirmed, the updated model will receive a new sculpted front bumper and reworked rear bumper for a more “athletic and sophisticated appearance”, according to the Japanese car-maker.

A new front grille mesh is also included, and the new CT200h will wear updated wheels including a new 10-spoke 16-inch design available in metallic and machined finishes.

However, the most obvious giveaway between new and old CT200h will be its lighting signature, with the daytime running lights moving from below the headlights to above, and the tweaked tail-lights which feature a sweeping, horizontal theme.

Buyers of the new CT200h will also receive more interior options with, according to Lexus, “an expanded interior colour palette”, and will have the choice of two-tone leather, fabric and synthetic leather, and new fabric-only upholstery.

The existing 7.0-inch central entertainment and information screen is also swapped out for a larger 10.3-inch unit, which incorporates the Lexus Navigation System.

Safety systems will also receive a boost thanks to a pre-collision warning system with autonomous emergency braking, dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure warning and automatic high beams.

Updates in the top-spec F Sport variant however, will target “younger customers with design changes that focus on black components to reinforce the model’s sporty nature”, said Lexus.

The front grille mesh, foglamp inserts and surrounds will be finished in metallic black, while the moulding above and below the grille will receive a jet-black treatment.

The rear bumper also mirrors the front grille’s mesh pattern through its lower ‘vents’ and the rear diffuser is finished in metallic black instead of silver.

F Sport variants can also be identified by 17-inch dark metallic alloy wheels and its optional two-tone paint scheme.

Flagship CT200h versions also gain access to new interior colour combinations and the Naguri ornamentation option, which “showcases high levels of Takumi craftsmanship”.

However, Lexus is expected to retain the same drivetrain configuration of a 73kW/142Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine matched to an electric motor for a total output of 100kW.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission and fuel economy is rated at 4.1 litres per 100km.

Lexus global chief engineer Chika Kako said: “the car is more emotional and sporty than before, making it the ideal premium hybrid compact for younger customers who enjoy driving, but still care about the environment.”

Globally, Lexus has sold around 300,000 CT200h vehicles, with Australia contributing about 6500 to the worldwide total.

For the first five months of the year, Lexus has found 387 new homes for its hybrid hatchback, a 30.7 per cent lift year-on-year.