Press releases from the launch of the 2018 facelift:
The Lexus CT 200h – a hybrid premium hatchback that rivals the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class – has been facelifted for the 2018 model year.
There’s no change to the CT 200h’s powertrain: it continues to be offered with the same 134bhp 1.8-litre petrol-electric setup as the Toyota Prius, but elsewhere the changes are reasonably comprehensive, if relatively subtle.
Choose Premier or F-Sport spec and the daytime running lights move above the headlights, while these models also get you a larger 10.3-inch infotainment screen, up from seven inches. Regardless of model, there are reprofiled bumpers, new rear lights, an updated version of Lexus’ trademark ‘spindle’ grille and metallic grey bezels for the front foglights.
Lexus is also offering new paint and interior colour options for the 2018 CT 200h, while the trim levels and equipment list have been updated.
Entry-level SE cars come with 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera and a seven-inch infotainment system.
The new Luxury grade sees the wheels grow to 17 inches in diameter, the front seats become heated and the rear windows tinted, while all-round parking sensors are also added.
The F-Sport model gets sat nav and the larger infotainment system, ‘performance’ dampers for the suspension and jet-black edges around the spindle grille.
There’s also a Plus Pack for SE trim, which brings 17-inch alloys, sat nav, rear parking sensors and Lexus’ Safety System Plus. This last item is standard on trims above SE, and bundles lane-keeping assistance with adaptive cruise control, auto-dipping headlights and traffic-sign recognition.
On the F-Sport model, a Premier Pack becomes available, bringing with it leather seats, keyless entry and go, a 13-speaker Mark Levinson stereo and LED headlights. If you don’t like the more dynamic looks of the F-Sport, you can get most of its equipment with the more subtle Premier trim level.
Lexus has applied light visual tweaks to the exterior, centred around a new mesh front grille and new metallic grey surrounds for the fog lights. At the rear, the car gets new L-shaped details in its tail-lights and a reshaped bumper with a grey lower section, as well as grey surrounds for the rear reflectors that match the fogs at the front.
Inside, a new 10.3in infotainment touchscreen with satellite navigation has been added to the centre console on all but the entry model. That variant, the SE, sticks with the 7.0in screen of the old car and doesn’t come with sat-nav. Customers can also choose from a wider palette of colours for the upholsteries, which include the existing two-tone smooth leather, part-fabric and Tahara leather-effect materials, as well as an all-fabric option – new for the updated car.
As revealed at the Frankfurt motor show last month, Lexus’ updated CT 200h will also come with the brand’s Safety System+, which includes a pre-collision braking system that works between 6mph and 50mph and can recognise obstacles including pedestrians. The hardware also allows adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning, while the driver assist functions are boosted by automatic high beam headlights and road sign assist tech.
Lexus has simplified the CT 200h’s trim line-up from seven to five variants, ditching the Executive Edition, Luxury and Sport trims of the pre-facelift car to create one new trim range. The specifications available on those cars have been absorbed into the smaller line-up, which is now made up of SE, Luxury F Sport and Premier models, with additional SE Plus Pack and F Sport Premier Packs also available.
The entry-level SE comes with dual-zone air conditioning, 16in alloy wheels and rain-sensing wipers, as well as a reversing camera and six-speaker audio system. The SE Plus Pack adds Lexus’s Safety System+, 17in wheels, rear parking sensors and sat-nav. Models above this gain keyless entry, heated front seats, privacy glass and front and rear parking sensors. A 13-speaker surround sound system is also available, while the F Sport trim gains bespoke exterior parts designed to add aggression to the body.