Lexus addressed the criticisms that were thrown the way of their CT 200h SE-L with the bulk pointing to a disconnected driving feel. The F-Sport released of the 200h now comes with a lateral damping setup that comes as standard. This lateral dampers act to decrease the vibrations which leads to a more comfortable ride and better steering feel.

The engineers at Lexu also changed the rates of the coil spring and replaecd the shock absorbers by Showa with Kayaba dampers to give he CT 200h F-Sport with a more aggressive orientation.

The CT 200h F-Sport also gets a big rear spoiler, redesigned side skirts which are more flared, a mesh grille in front, reworked bumpers, and it rolls on 17 inch alloy rims.

The F-Sport derives its DNA from the 200h SE-L trim but packs in a ton of improvement like leather upholstery, cruise control, electric adjustment for the driver seat, heated seats in front, auto dimming, parking cameras, and retractable side mirrors.

The F-Sport will also make use of the 4-cylinder 1.8L petrol engine with a peak output of 98 bhp on a transverse configuration just like its other siblings on the CT200h range. This gas engine has on its sides the hybrid transaxle that transfers power to the wheels in front which has the electric motors giving out 81 bhp.

The Lexus CT 200h will take the form of a hatchback and will use similar lines to the concept car Lexus LF-Ch which was just unveiled a few months ago.

Lexus explains that the CT 200h is a car designed for those who want to be more responsible and lower their emissions but who will not compromise their standards. The new member of the Lexus garage will be the first full hybrid compact to be offered in the premium market. The drive system of the car will take its cues from the set up utilized for the LS 600h, RX 450h, and the GS 450h.

It is not yet clear if the CT 200h will go on sale in the United States but there is a stringing backing from the management team to roll it out in North America. The sale of the Lexus compact on the US shore might just be the companies answer to plans of Lincoln and Cadillac to introduce new cars to the market. BMW and Audi also plan to send variants of their 1-Series and A3, respectively, stateside.

According to experts, the luxury segment might just hit it big time with the compacts in coming years. A lot of prestige car aficionados are on a downsizing trend plus the congestion of traffic is expected to get worse.