New Car Review of the 2006 Lexus RX 400h Hybrid Fuel Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle Base MSRP Range: $44,660 - $46,060
Invoice Price Range: $39,746 - $40,992
Where built: Canada, Japan

Luxurious vehicles aimed at the champagne set are what's expected from Lexus, elite offshoot line from Toyota of Japan.

So process this anomaly: Lexus has a new hybrid gasoline-electric product for 2006, a crossover sport-utility wagon based on the front-wheel-drive (FWD) RX 330 that brings the exuberant acceleration of a V6-powered vehicle but the thrifty fuel economy of a four-cylinder compact car.

The new Lexus hybrid SUV -- designated as the RX 400h -- uses Toyota's high-voltage and high-powered Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) powertrain, teaming an efficient 3.3-liter V6 lifted from the RX 330 with a pair of powerful electric motors. RX the hybrid operates with the gasoline engine or one of the electric motors -- or in a mode combining the plants. The sum of all powertrains is the equivalent of 268 hp. Then the electric motors also function as generators when the wagon coasts or brakes, capturing the kinetic energy of heat and transforming it into electricity that's used to recharge on-board batteries.

Net effect is a driving range that exceeds 600 miles and fuel economy numbers up to 30 mpg but with no detectable sacrifice of engine power for off-the-line accelerations or passing in the fast lane. RX 400h also shows a version with all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction through a third electric motor added to turn the rear wheels.