Choose "Sport" and it actually feels like the throttle pedal's connected to something, but the engine moans and groans in protest. It also causes the benevolent lighting in the gauge panels to change from soothing green (Eco) or blue (normal) to an angry red. The steering does get quicker during Sport mode, but there's still little feedback. Performance car it ain't.
But having said that, I must admit that I genuinely grew to like this car. It's extremely comfortable and easy to live with. With an eye on the graphics display (which clearly demonstrates energy expended or replenished), I found myself adapting my driving style to achieve an overall 5.0L/100km.
That’s a very good number, but unlikely to impress the buyer who is simply looking for good fuel economy – and who might be better served by the Hyundai Elantra which achieves similar mileage at less than half the cost. At over $41,000, my tester's demographic isn't the merely frugal.
Rather, the CT200h is aimed at the premium buyer who doesn't mind paying a bit extra for the cachet of a hybrid badge, the sporty image of a hot hatch – and the satisfaction of cheating the gas pumps.
But having said that, I must admit that I genuinely grew to like this car. It's extremely comfortable and easy to live with. With an eye on the graphics display (which clearly demonstrates energy expended or replenished), I found myself adapting my driving style to achieve an overall 5.0L/100km.
That’s a very good number, but unlikely to impress the buyer who is simply looking for good fuel economy – and who might be better served by the Hyundai Elantra which achieves similar mileage at less than half the cost. At over $41,000, my tester's demographic isn't the merely frugal.
Rather, the CT200h is aimed at the premium buyer who doesn't mind paying a bit extra for the cachet of a hybrid badge, the sporty image of a hot hatch – and the satisfaction of cheating the gas pumps.
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| At over $41,000, my tester's demographic isn't the merely frugal. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com) |
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