Last week, Toyota showed off its hydrogen-powered GR Yaris that managed to keep its standard 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine. We were rather excited, and now Lexus is getting in on the act, too.
Welcome to the Lexus ROV (recreational off-highway vehicle) concept. Now, most of what you see is fairly standard side-by-side stuff, if a little posher to fit with Lexus’ brand image. Heck, we’re not sure how that bronze paint will deal with stone chips—particularly on the large front arches—but the seats are clad in leather and are separately sprung to make the ride more comfortable. Lovely.
What’s really interesting is the powertrain. Lexus says the ROV concept uses a 1.0-liter hydrogen engine that “works just like a petrol engine.” A high-pressure tank houses compressed hydrogen behind the cabin, which is delivered to the combustion engine using something called a direct hydrogen injector.
Lexus promises “the exciting sound of an ICE and the responsive rise in torque that comes from the fast combustion speed of hydrogen” as well as close to zero emissions with just a small amount of engine oil being burned. There’s no word on power or torque figures, but as it’s a proper concept, we’ll forgive Lexus for that.
What do we think, Internet?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
