Lexus LC 500h 2017 Review

With the introduction of its LC 500 coupe, Lexus has done something special.
It has created not just a thoroughly viable, spectacular-looking entrant in the high-performance coupe segment, where illuminati such as Porsche, Jaguar and Aston Martin strut their stratospheric stuff.

It has also given customers the choice of whether to take a bellowing V8 trajectory into hi-po orbit, or to go for a more environmentally-sound hybrid option…which does much the same thing, but minus the histrionics.

Not many of the automotive cognoscenti would argue against the allure of five litres and 351kW of aspirated V8, but some will dispute the validity of a V6-based hybrid trying to earn a place in this esteemed segment.

Yes, some questions remain about hybrids occupying a possie in this rarefied air, but otherwise, the Lexus LC 500h irrefutably does a good job of fulfilling the brief.

The figures partly tell the story: The hybrid LC 500, on paper, is not dramatically slower than the V8 in terms of acceleration – zero to 100km/h in 5.0 seconds plays 4.7 seconds.

And, despite weighing up to 230kg more than its conventional sibling, it remains well balanced via engine and battery (lighter-weight lithium-ion) positioning within the new GA-L platform. In fact, on that score, it’s better than the V8: The 52:48 fore-aft figure compares more than favourably with the V8’s 54:46.

After a week putting an LC 500h to more pedestrian use than previous testers (who got to do laps of Victoria’s Philip Island circuit), the long, squat and so blatantly Lexus coupe didn’t disappoint in any way not already expected.

Our beefs included accessibility of the too-clever in-cabin tech where an uncomfortable amount of time was spent getting the brain around things as simple as activating Bluetooth, or even finding radio stations.

The 172-litre boot is virtually useless and there’s an acute lack of space in the rear of the passenger compartment – which, while disappointing, was nevertheless considered acceptable given the 2+2 nature of the car.

But, let’s be frank, the LC 500h achieves what its designers set out for it to do: Capture attention.

It’s no shrinking violet, yet most who ventured an opinion were unfailingly positive about the coupe’s looks: The super-low bonnet, the wasp-waisting and the knee-high roofline were enough to attract attention before even considering the aesthetic values of the insect-mandible front end and the disconcertingly vertical elements of the rear light clusters.

By any measure the LC 500 is a big car, proportionately larger than competitors such as Jaguar F-Type, Porsche 911 and Aston Martin V8 – all which it undercuts in price. Within a wheelbase approaching that of a full-size, old-school family car, the Lexus manages to encapsulate those people who matter most – front-seat passengers – in sublime comfort on fabulous seats surrounded by one of the most exactingly put-together cabins you could hope to find. Hand-crafted becomes a totally acceptable term and you never doubt the designers were already thinking of you as they sat down in front of their CAD screens.

There’s also more glass area around the C-pillars than is the norm in these sorts of cars, resulting in fair rearward vision.

Other than the interface issues mentioned earlier, the LC 500h presents few problems not already being faced by most car-makers. The power-adjusted small-diameter steering wheel, the easily- deciphered instrument display and most of the tactile functions speak of quality and ease of use.

That is, most of the functions. Try finding the cruise control switches on the steering wheel among the myriad of other buttons - controlling things like the volume of the 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, answering the phone, flicking through trip computer displays - or attempt (while stationary), the central touch-pad which is supposed to do these things too. My thought is that an overly sensitive touch-pad is not really compatible in a moving environment where simple-and-easy is the safest, most idiot-proof approach.

Even mass-market manufacturers such as Mazda do it better.

As you’d hope, most of this pales into insignificance once the LC 500h gets mobile.

Forget the complex explanations of how the new Multi Stage Hybrid System’s transmission works. What Lexus describes as a “multi stage shift device” addition to the powertrain produces stepped ratio shifts aimed at making the whole thing feel more like a 10-speed auto gearbox than a CVT drivetrain. And, yes, as you watch the tacho blipping its way through the ratios it does pretty much that. What’s not missed is the steady-rpm drone under hard acceleration which every car maker using a constantly-variable transmission tries to avoid.

The driver can play with the gearshift paddles, or simply let the transmission do its own thing – whichever you choose, the LC 500h feels spirited, an extension of you and very, very refined.

Twist the mode control flanking the left side of the instrument pod into ‘Sport S’ and you’ll be even more pleased as the Lexus shoves forward in a most authoritative manner, even doling out a bit of wheelspin.

The quoted total output for the system is a solid 264kW, with the V6 and the electric motor contributing 220kW and 132kW each.

With all this on hand, the 5.0-second zero to 100km/h claim suddenly feels quite doable as the 3.5-litre V6 and electric motor muscle-up to create a seamless, subtly-harmonic surge forward.

Does the two-tonne LC 500h feel ponderous? Far from it.

Perhaps most importantly, it mixes a surprisingly good ride quality with sharp, accurate steering and prodigious road grip courtesy of the adaptive, variable suspension and the staggered 245/40R21 and 275/35R21 run-flat Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres developed specifically for this car.

The planted, solid feel is contributed to by a number of things: A long wheelbase, the high kilogram count and, in the case of our particular car, the $15,000 enhancement pack, which took the price sticker up to $205,000 (before on-road costs), but delivered variable-ratio four-wheel steering plus the same limited-slip differential which is standard in the V8.

And, with the help of the hybrid system, the LC 500h is pretty handy at the fuel pump too, in our case averaging around 9.6L/100km. While the figure is certainly well removed from the official claim of 6.7L/100km, it’s not bad for a car with this sort of performance and consistently better on paper than most of its peer group.

The problem for Lexus is that, around this price range, the peer group contains plenty of delectable options: Jaguar F-Type, Aston Martin V8, Porsche 911 Carrera and even the likes of C 63 AMG Benz and BMW 640i. All are as quick, or faster, than the Lexus hybrid and, while some aren’t similar personal coupes, they don’t occupy any more road space and, generally, are easier to operate around town.

But whatever might be said about the LC 500h - about the bravado with which Lexus has tackled an exclusive market segment dominated by long-established, high-cache brands - the reality is, this is a fine, epoch-making creation certain to move the company’s credibility bar graph upwards by more than a notch or two.

2017 Lexus LC 500h pricing and specifications:
Price: $190,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.5-litre six-cylinder petrol / electric hybrid
Output: 220kW/348Nm Total 264kW (Electric motor 132kW/300Nm)
Transmission: continuously variable
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 152g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: TBA