Lexus wants to bring more luxury to off-roading
This vehicle uses a combustion engine that burns hydrogen
It will remain a concept, although Lexus wants to develop lifestyle-oriented products
Lexus Unveiled the ROV Concept, a small off-road vehicle that promises to bring luxury to the world of ATVs.
The ROV name comes from Recreational Off-highway Vehicle, which is the official description of this concept. It is a more luxurious version of a traditional side-by-side type of ATV that includes design touches from Lexus’ road-going vehicles.
The front end is shaped in a way to recall the brand’s now famous spindle grille and the rear features taillamps that are similar to some of the automaker’s other models.
On the inside, the ROV Concept appears to have leather seats and carbon fibre accents and the exterior paint color is a new shade of bronze that was developed specifically for this vehicle.
The most important aspect of the ROV Concept is its engine, since it employs a technology on which Toyota has worked for a while now, a hydrogen powered internal combustion engine.
This engine is a 1.0L unit that burns hydrogen directly instead of fuel, which Lexus claims provides instant throttle response and a “pleasing engine note”, while producing very little pollution, with only a small quantity of oil that is burned when driving.
This type of engine keeps the advantages of a combustion engine, namely the sound and the convenience of short refill times, while providing a very small environmental impact to the almost inexistant emissions and the lack of a big battery pack.
This vehicle will remain a concept, but Lexus signified its intention to make more lifestyle oriented products in the future.
Lexus ROV Concept | Photo: Lexus
