Lexus luxury has never seemed more opulent and more frugal at the same time
The term “flagship” gets a real workout with most automakers when describing their top-of-the-line offerings. Without a doubt, though, the 2018 Lexus LS 500 that’s due to arrive shortly seems richly deserving of its exalted status.
For nearly three decades, the LS has been the image maker for the Lexus fleet. From Day One it has challenged other North American and European marques, while challenging perceptions about what a luxury car should be, and how buyers should be treated.
The latest design delivers more of just about everything you would expect in a premium ride, but encased in a properly understated package. Understated, that is, except for a more aggressive-looking spindle grille that’s the brand’s signature fashion statement. The remaining sheetmetal is more curvaceous and is devoid of the previous model’s slab-sided look. Lexus refers to the design as “coupe like,” but that’s just code for having a sloped rear roof section.
Compared to the outgoing model, the LS 500 has six more inches between the front and rear wheels and is more than an inch longer than the previous-gen. extended-length LS 460 L. Even so, the new one-sizeonly LS appears even larger, due to a slightly lower roofline, hood and trunk lid.
The cabin is more sumptuous than before, with richer-looking leather for the seat coverings and dashboard, and upgrades to the console and door trim. What’s most striking is the absolute simplicity of the dashboard. Most of the switches are located on the woodtrimmed steering wheel, while the bare minimum number of buttons are visible on the control panel — which is also home to a 12.3-inch touchscreen — and floor console.
The LS’s new platform has been engineered for stiffness and weight savings. There’s more high-strength steel as well as aluminum in play, while the center of gravity is slightly lower than before.
Many makers of high-end cars are discarding their V8 engines for turbocharged V6s and Lexus is no exception. For 2018, the LS 500 runs with a twin-turbo V6 that makes 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Compared to the previous V8 in the LS 460, the V6 represents a significant gain of 56 horsepower and 95 pound-feet.
Lexus claims the 4,700-pound LS can hit 60 mph from rest in 4.6 seconds, which is quicker than the LS 460 by nearly a second. This level of performance in a top-end luxury sedan is nothing short of game changing.
A 10-speed automatic transmission (two more gears than the previous car) directs power to the rear wheels or all four with the all-wheel-drive option.
For buyers wanting to appear frugal and somewhat eco-friendly, the LS 500h hybrid’s powertrain carries over
essentially unchanged. The system’s non-turbo 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 combines with two electric motors to produce a net 354 horsepower. The hybrid is no slouch, either, hitting 60 mph from rest in 5.1 seconds, according to Lexus.
As with the LS 500, the LS 500h can be had in either rear- or all-wheeldrive, and its fuel-economy rating of 25 mpg city and 33 highway is better than the LS 500’s 19/29 numbers by nearly 30 percent for the city cycle, which is where hybrids tend to excel.
The base LS 500 is expected to arrive in the $75,000 range, which is about $3,000 more than the base cost of the LS 460. That sum gets buyers a wealth of luxury and safety gear, but they’ll need extra cash or credit for allwheel-drive, air suspension, Shiatsu massaging front seats and heated “relaxation” rear seats with inflatable air bladders.
For more flair, the LS can be ordered with an F Sport package that includes a stiffer suspension, beefier brakes, unique grille and rocker panels, and black 20-inch wheels.
Clearly, the LS is now decidedly different in content and character. It might not leave the competition quaking in their run-flat tires, but the LS should stir the soul of Lexus fans like never before.