Lexus has announced plans for a new hybrid engine which will add performance to the technology's noted economy. The system will be offered in the new Lexus RX four-wheel drive model and will arrive on the North American market in about two years.

Called Hybrid Synergy Drive, the system operates with front and rear electric motors and a front internal combustion engine. The system in the RX operates at nearly double the voltage of existing hybrid systems and generates more power with high efficiency, dramatically cutting fuel consumption and emissions.

And the front and rear electric drive provides the benefits of all-wheel drive in a lighter and more compact package.

“The system is highly modular so it is extremely flexible. Different size motors and engines can be combined to favour either fuel economy or power…or both. This means the Hybrid Synergy Drive can be easily adapted to a broad range of vehicles,” says a Lexus spokesman.