Lexus LS driven
We hit the road in hi-tech new flagship saloon
LEXUS is preparing an all-new flagship LS to take on the Mercedes S-class – and Auto Express has been given a brief run around the roads of Yokohama, Japan, to gauge how the latest limo is shaping up.
There’s now just a single version on offer – a long-wheelbase LS 500h, which mixes a 3.5-litre V6 with a pair of electric motors, for a combined output of 354bhp. It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, even with its complex four-step auto box, which mimics a conventional 10-speed unit.
Our short drive offered little chance to take the LS beyond 50mph, but it felt accomplished at lower speeds. The standard air suspension does a fair job of soothing out ramps and ridges in the road, but sharper imperfections are more of a challenge. An S-class is more comfortable.
The steering is surprisingly heavy, and the car feels pretty bulky. We can’t say for certain based on this test, but our gut feeling is that it will major on long-distance cruising ability instead of any deftness or handling agility.
As you pull away from rest the refinement is unnerving at first, with only a distant electric motor whine. Thereafter, a smooth approach will be rewarded, allowing the electric motor more chance of acting alone. At a cruise, you won’t hear much from under the bonnet at all – although this is also down to a fair amount of noise from the fat tyres. The cabin is a mixed bag; mismatched materials offer none of the coherence found in German rivals. Perhaps more surprisingly, the quality doesn’t seem consistent, either. The LS piles on the tech, but misses out on Apple Carplay and Android Auto – a glaring omission in this connected age, especially for a car costing around £100,000. We’re still waiting for UK specs, but our car had a Mark Levinson stereo, and even a 24-inch head-up display – the largest of its type in the world.