no one knows, but my guess is they re-arrange some stuff? not sure if they actually have a smaller battery now

 

they gotta drag this design out for 6 years. aint gonna be any changes for the 2009.

 

it wouldnt change to hybrid system, or they would change the performance numbers or mpg numbers... so it is some kind of repackaging.

Only thing that GS needs is better packaging. They need to go to extreme with next version - luxury isnt enough, fact that I can pay for GS, does not mean that I want to have minivan to take kids on trips. Which was basically their reasoning for GS450h - "People buying GS450h have enough money to have 2-3 other cars with more trunk space".

 

I don't agree with this at all, you may do that with a Ferrari, not a Lexus. And I don't think that was Lexus's intention as well. It probably has more to do with they are still new at this tech., hence wasn't able to package it very well at first. I am sure as time goes on, the battery will likely get smaller and more efficient, and the trunk space will be regained.

 

Is the trunk space in the Camry Hybrid as bad or worse than the current GS? Seems like if they can develop the Camry with ample trunk space, why not the GS?

 

Camry Hybrid


GS450h - not as bad as I originally thought

 

camry and gs are two different cars, you can't compare like that, camry is fwd.

 

Amen ! Like comparing apples to oranges . . . sheesh

 

No, I was comparing Hybrids..essentially made by the same company. If the rumors are true about the 09 GSH being 40% bigger, that will put the space in the GS's trunk equal to that of the 09 Camry hybrid. Both cars are 4 door sedans...regardless of AWD, FWD or RWD.

09 Camry Hybrid has 10.6 cubic feet
08 GS Hybrid has 7.5 cubic feet...plus 40% for the 2009...gives you 10.5 cubic feet.

 

it is not an rumor, thats what the space will be according to Lexus PR.

Problem is that both cars were not built up from ground up to be hybrids, hence batteries have to go somewhere.

 

looks can be deceiving, when I was buying my GS350, my cousin (who was getting the car from US for me) took picture of GS450h trunk with sheet of A4 paper in it, and it looked quite full

 

the camry trunk space was larger to begin with, before they retrofitted the battery

 

^ Agree, again you CANNOT compare fwd to rwd, regardless if they are both 4 door sedans built by the same company. Fwd has NO rear axle and NO driveshaft to the rear, everything concentrated up front. Rwd has a rear axle, rear driveshaft and longitudinal transmission, by design it will take away space from the trunk, rear seats and front seats. . .

 

I totally understand what you are saying. My original comparison was merely to compare the two Hybrid vehicles that are practically the same dimensions. Obviously neither company can figure out a way to create more space than the 10.5 cubic feet. That in mind, it would be more difficult for Lexus being that the car is RWD and/or AWD.

 

^ Gotch ya. BTW, can you tell I'm a huge proponent of rwd:



Also not a big fan of hybrids, especially the 450h and 600h, I just don't get it especially when you can get equivalent performance from their gas-engine counterparts at a 25% discount . . .