New Lexus hybrid to go on sale this summer

DETROIT (Reuters) - Japan's Toyota Motor Corp said on Sunday it will roll out the first dedicated hybrid car for its Lexus luxury brand this summer as it aims to reverse the tide of sliding sales.

The pricing and mileage for the entry-level HS250h, equipped with a four-cylinder 2.5-liter engine, was not given. But Lexus Group Vice President Mark Templin said the gasoline-electric car would likely get more mileage in city driving than Mercedes-Benz's two-seater Smart car.

The HS250h sedan packs some of Toyota's most advanced vehicle technology features, such as a 190-degree front-view monitor that assists drivers to see objects in blind spots, and is equipped with 10 airbags.

Templin, introducing the car at the Detroit auto show, said Toyota had high expectations for sales, noting that more than 60 percent of entry-luxury car buyers say they would have considered a hybrid had one been available.

To date, Lexus has sold more then 157,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, beginning with the RX hybrid in 2005.

The HS250h is one of three new Lexus models to be launched this year, the brand's 20th anniversary. The fully remodeled RX sport utility vehicle will hit showrooms in February, and the IS convertible will be sold from late spring, Toyota said.

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim, editing by Peter Bohan)