The CT 200h is the most popular Lexus in the UK, which can surely be at least partly explained by the fact that it's also the cheapest. It uses the same drivetrain as the Toyota Prius and Auris Hybrid, namely a 1.8-litre petrol engine and an electric motor driving the front wheels through CVT automatic transmission. CO2 emissions vary throughout the range, but every CT 200h has CO2 emissions of under 100g/km.

Lexus launched the CT 200h in Britain back in 2010. A revised version was brought to market in 2014.

Performance

The hybrid system means that the CT is significantly heavier than, for example, a diesel Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, and the combined output of the engine and electric motor is a modest 134bhp. Straight-line performance is therefore less than startling: all versions take 10.3 seconds to accelerate from 0-62mph and run out of puff at 112mph. This is enough for most everyday purposes, but if you're looking for a hot hatch the CT is not the car for you.

In most driving conditions (and of course especially when the electric motor is doing all the work) the CT is very quiet, and the CVT transmission means that gear changing isn't an issue. All you have to decide is whether to make the car go forwards or backwards.

Ride and Handling

The ride quality was poor on rougher surfaces in the earlier cars, but Lexus improved the situation during the 2014 update.

On a well-surfaced country road the CT handles beautifully, which makes up for the lack of power to a large extent. The ride quality was poor on rougher surfaces in the earlier cars, but Lexus improved the situation during the 2014 update. The steering is very smooth and the turning circle impressively small, allowing you to steer the car round in a space which would require a three-point turn in many more conventional hatchbacks.

Interior and Equipment

CT stands for 'Creative Touring', though it is occasionally assumed to stand for 'Compact Touring'.

Although Lexus offers only one drivetrain in the CT, it's much more generous when it comes to equipment levels. There are seven of these, called (in ascending price order) S, SE, Advance, Luxury, Advance Plus, F Sport and Premier. Advance has proved to be the most popular in the UK, while Advance Plus, introduced early in 2015, is basically the same thing but with various styling changes including, as a no-cost option, the first two-tone paint scheme ever applied to a Lexus. All CT models have DAB digital radio, LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth connectivity, a multimedia display screen and two USB ports. The F Sport has stiffer suspension than the others, while the Premier has a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, LED headlights and auto-dimming door mirrors which are either optional or not available at all elsewhere in the range. The Premier is also the only version available, at extra cost, with adaptive cruise control and Pre-Crash Safety. Luggage capacity is reasonable for the class at 375 litres with the rear seats in place and 985 litres to roof level when they're folded down. Rear passenger space isn't impressive, and visibility in that half of the car is very poor due to the obtrusive pillars.

Cost

The S, which runs on 15-inch wheels, has the best combined economy and CO2 figures of 78.5mpg and 82g/km.

Pricing starts at a little above £21,200 for the S, while the popular Advance costs just over £24,200. The Premier is listed at nearly £30,000, and as you can imagine it's easy to spend well over £30k if you start adding optional extras. A large part of the reason for buying a CT is that it will be cheap to run. The S, which runs on 15-inch wheels, has the best combined economy and CO2 figures of 78.5mpg and 82g/km. Larger wheels and the increasingly low-profile tyres fitted to them give the car more friction to overcome, but even on 17s (the largest available) the CT still officially manages 68.9mpg and 94g/km. All versions are therefore zero-rated for Vehicle Excise Duty. They are also in the third lowest band for Benefit In Kind taxation, which currently stands at 13% and will rise to 22 per cent in April 2019.

Our Verdict

The CT 200h combines the low running costs of the mechanically similar Toyota Prius and Auris Hybrid with more adventurous styling and a less mainstream badge. It's not an exciting car, but if that's not important to you it could be an interesting alternative to other medium-sized hatchbacks.