Kuala Lumpur – Here are a couple of facts to consider if you’re still wary of hybrid cars. Around the world, Lexus sells one hybrid for every three regular cars. Pre-launch orders for the new ES, meanwhile, are 50-50 split between the ES 250 and the hybrid ES 300h.

There are more than 600,000 Lexus hybrids on the road. And the brand is still the most reliable carmaker around, according to JD Power and Associates, an independent consultancy.

Indeed, the ES 300h uses Nickel-Metal Hydride for its battery instead of newer Lithium-based technology precisely because its engineers have much more experience with the former, and know how to make it reliable. Chances are, you won’t be needing the local 10 year-warranty on Lexus hybrid batteries, though it’s nice to know the safety net is there.

But even if you care little about what goes on under the bonnet of a car, a drive in the petrol-electric ES 300h might just switch you on to all this hybrid stuff.

For one thing, since it can run on electric power alone at speeds of up to 45km/h, the ES 300h can float around town pretty much as silently as a Rolls-Royce.

And in urban traffic where petrol engines are at their worst in terms of fuel-consumption, the Lexus is at its best, drawing power from its 245V battery instead of burning petrol.

Even if you’re heavy-footed, the ES 300h beats the ES 250 in some ways, too. It’s faster to 100km/h because the electric motor gives you a nice boost of acceleration, and it feels like the perkier of the two ES models in the city.

It’s only out on the open road that the hybrid model suffers in comparison, because its transmission allows the engine to drone intrusively at high revs.

Visually, the two cars are pretty similar, with subtle blue badging distinguishing the hybrid model, along with a small wing on the boot and wheels that have been sculpted to cut wind resistance. The ES 300h also eschews the twin tailpipes of the ES 250 in favour of a concealed exhaust, perhaps to remind you of its distaste for petrol.

What’s unseen is the elegance to way the ES 300h effectively tops its battery up with free energy, recapturing energy whenever you brake or slow down. That allows it to cover 100km on a claimed 5.5litres of petrol.

Fuel economy claims can be wild, but full hybrids seem to suit city conditions. On a drive from the outskirts of KL and into the heart of town, I saw an average of 5.2L/100km on the trip computer, which made the ES 300h even more fuel efficient than its makers claim. That almost never happens with manufacturer figures, so it’s nice that Lexus is reliable about the truth, too.

Ultimately, the ES 300h costs $12,000 more than the ES 250, but the money buys you a car that is quieter, quicker and uses less fuel. I’d call that a win-win-win situation, which leaves just one important question about hybrid cars: why aren’t you driving one?

NEED-TO-KNOW: Lexus ES 300h

Engine 2,494cc, 16V, inline 4
Power 205bhp (system)
Torque 213Nm (engine only)
Motor 141bhp, 300Nm
Gearbox CVT
Top Speed 180km/h
0-100km/h 8.5 seconds
Fuel efficiency 5.5L/100km
CO2 130g/km
Price $250,000 with COE
Availability Now

Also consider BMW 5 Series ActiveHybrid

Photos by Leow Ju-Len (mostly)