Lexus LS 500 V6 D55 9214
Lexus LS 500 V6 D55 0120
Lexus LS 500 V6 Executive Package 7776
Lexus LS 500 V6 D818331
Lexus LS 500 V6 D818292
Matt Brogan26 Sept 2017
REVIEW

Lexus LS 2017 Review

Lexus' fifth-generation LS flagship seeks to take on Germany's 'big three', but can it challenge its contemporaries in the same way as the original?
Review Type
International Launch
Review Location
San Francisco, USA

Ten years since the previous-generation LS was launched – and 28 years since the original made its global debut – Lexus’ fifth-gen luxury saloon has been unveiled to international media in the United States. Boasting a swathe of automated accoutrements and technological trimmings, the LS brings twin-turbo V6 power to the range for the first time, alongside a V6 hybrid – but no V8. The LS now comes in a solitary wheelbase offering, packaged in a deeply sculptured four-door body that’s longer, lower, wider and lighter than before. The Lexus LS 500 and LS 500h are set to go on sale locally from April 2018 with pricing to be announced closer to the model’s Australian launch.

Arriving into a market dominated by established players is not only difficult, but often futile. Faithful buyers often treat newcomers contumely, and will boycott a start-up product until it’s earned a name for itself. A chicken and egg situation, if you will.

It was this very situation Lexus faced when it introduced its very first LS back in 1989. The large, luxury saloon upended market expectations, redefining not only the segment itself, but also the customer experience.

It was a formula that set in place a standard that few of Lexus’ peers have managed to keep pace with, and five generations on the Lexus flagship sedan continues to impress.

Lexus LS 500 V6 D55 0120

Revealed at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year Lexus’ latest LS again seeks to raise the bar. Competing against rivals bristling with automated accoutrements and technological trimmings, it indeed has large shoes to fill, as Lexus LS chief engineer, Toshio Asahi admits.

“Not only will the LS symbolise the Lexus brand, it will become the definitive new-generation luxury car embodying Japanese tradition and culture,” he said. “As such, this global pinnacle must go far beyond what the world expects from a luxury car.”

Dressed to impress
Longer, lower, wider and lighter (-90kg) than the outgoing LS, the Kouichi Suga-designed sedan draws on the styling cues of the LC coupe. It is underpinned by a stretched version of the coupe’s GA-L rear-drive architecture, and for that reason is said to be more dynamic and comfortable than its decade-old predecessor.

Stiffer than any Lexus frame before it, the ultra-high tensile steel and aluminium body measures 3125mm between the axles -- 35mm more than the previous long-wheelbase variant -- and is 5235mm long (+25mm), 1450mm high (-15mm) and 1900mm wide (+25mm).

They’re figures that equate to increased passenger accommodation levels, allowing more space for what Lexus calls ‘Omotenashi’, the concept of taking care of the driver and passengers, anticipating their needs, attending to their comfort and helping to keep them safe.

Lexus LS 500 V6 D818413

New seating designs offer 28-way power adjustment, heating and cooling, and even a Shiatsu massage function. Lexus says the seats are shaped not only to envelop their occupant, but to improve passenger ingress and egress by rising by as much as 24 degrees during vehicle entry and exit. To aid passenger access even further, air suspended variants feature an Access Mode operable via the key.

Compared to the outgoing model, the new LS scores an increase in leg and headroom, the latter via the inclusion of an outward-opening panoramic moonroof. Plus LED lighting influenced by Japanese lanterns and Shimamoku-inspired wood patterns bring depth to the cabin’s visuals, while increased acoustic insulation and Active Noise Control maintain a hushed ambience irrespective of road speed.

The quiet cabin is bolstered even further by flush-surface windows, a first in the LS range, and a newly conceived hollow rim wheel design that helps to reduce tyre resonance.

Lexus LS 500h Executive Package 5201

Five-seat symphony
If the sound of silence isn’t your thing, then perhaps the 24-speaker, 2400-Watt Mark Levinson 3D surround audio system will be. Accessed via a 12.3-inch navigation display dubbed Lexus Enform, the interface accepts both handwritten and remote-touch inputs, said to mimic those of a smartphone. In practice, the interface is fiddly and over-sensitive.

On the plus side the Mark Levinson sound system (which will be standard on Australian models) is nothing short of mesmerising, enveloping occupants in rich, clear sound irrespective of their choice in music. Even listening to tracks I’m extremely familiar with I heard flourishes I’ve never noticed before, the system even detailing the performer inhaling and the sound of the plectrum on strings.

Optionally, a “world’s largest” 24-inch full-colour head-up display projects audio, navigation and vehicle information on to the windscreen.

Lexus LS 500 V6 D817919

Although the LS misses out on many of the autonomous driving features now offered in its contemporaries – including the ability to park itself – it does include an extensive list of electronic safety aids under the Lexus Safety System + banner.

Intuitive Pedestrian Detection with Active Steering works to brake and steer around a person positioned in front of the car while staying within the running lane. Meantime Lexus’ latest generation of electronic chassis control technology, known as Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management, manages braking, steering, powertrain, and suspension actions in line with longitudinal, lateral, vertical, yaw, pitch and roll inputs to not only enhance traction, safety and handling agility, but also ride comfort.

A multitude of airbags, active cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, active lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, active bonnet, and rear lane-change warning are also included.

Lexus LS 500h Executive Package 4985

First LS with V6 power
Behind its trademark Spindle Grille, Lexus further differentiates the LS from its sporty LC sibling with the introduction of a twin-turbo V6 engine. Displacing 3.5 litres, the long-stroke unit was designed specifically with the LS in mind, and develops less power (310kW v 351kW), but more torque (600Nm v 540Nm) than the LC’s V8, enabling a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.5sec.

Lexus says the communication between engine and transmission was critical in delivering “instant acceleration” while at the same time maintaining the “remarkable powertrain smoothness” it says is its trademark.

This is accomplished by locking the torque converter once the LS is on the move and by enabling the close-ratio 10-speed automatic transmission to “anticipate” driver input, selecting the ideal ratio in conjunction with acceleration, braking and lateral g-force feedback.

Lexus LS 500 V6 D818292

For LS 500h there’s a system familiar to the LC 500h. Here, Lexus’ proven 3.5-litre petrol V6 (220kW/348Nm) and synchronous electric motor (132kW/300Nm) are combined with a new, proprietary Multi Stage Hybrid Transmission. This unit combines a four-speed automatic and continuously variable transmission to mimic the action of a conventional multi-speed epicyclic auto.

Like the conventionally-powered LS 500, the LS 500h drives the rear wheels, but is differentiated from familiar Lexus hybrids by employing a 310-volt (nominal) lithium-ion battery in place of the traditional nickel-metal hydride unit. The hybrid is said to hit 100km/h as quickly as 5.2sec.

In addition to the lighter body and lower centre of gravity, Lexus says it has also carefully considered the placement of the LS’ occupants, and its mechanical components, in centralising the vehicle’s mass. Reinforced aluminium strut towers and braces bolster the frame’s torsional stiffness, while “aluminium extensive” suspension componentry and lightweight wheels reduces unsprung mass.

Lexus LS 500 V6 D818570

Handling can be further enhanced by active stabiliser bars (front and rear) on F Sport variants, and the Lexus Dynamic Handling System with independent front and rear steering. Australian variants will receive the latter on LS 500 and LS 500h F Sport variants, but the active stabilisers will be offered only on the LS 500 F Sport.

F Sport variants of the LS (in 500 or 500h guise) also add 20-inch alloys shod with 245/45 (front) and 275/40 (rear) tyres and larger front and rear disc rotors with six- and four-piston callipers respectively. The F Sport also scores variable-ratio and dynamic rear steering, sport-tuned suspension with rapid height function and “just enough of an exhaust note to enhance the sporty feel”.

Lexus LS 500 V6 Executive Package 7729

Home, James, and don’t spare the horses
Perhaps more than any LS before it, the fifth-generation model is as much a car for the driver and it is for back-seat VIPs. It blends communication, comfort and composure in equal measures, handling twisting canyon roads like a much smaller car.

The driver’s seat is thoughtfully positioned with access to primary and secondary controls within easy reach. We found the steering and pedals beautifully weighted and pleasingly accurate, the only caveat here that the larger brakes of the F Sport model were more difficult to modulate when attempting to achieve that chauffer-like ‘soft stop’.

The cabin is remarkably quiet, a hint of wind rustle about the wing mirrors being the only disturbance noticed on test. Regardless of whether you’re seated at the helm, or in the vastly spacious rear seat, it’s possible to hold a conversation without raising your voice. Even the LS’ run-flat tyres make little impact on the cabin’s hushed ambience.

Lexus LS 500 Executive Package 7877

Mechanical noise intrusion is likewise muted, though under heavy throttle the raspy V6 does make itself known. It’s an engine note that lacks the aural presence of the outgoing V8, though if Lexus’ engineers are to be believed, the same stirring V8 power of the LC 500 may not be too far away.

Not that the V6 feels in any way lacking in the performance department. Its torque is both accessible and energetic, propelling the LS 500 with an athleticism that belies its size. We found the petrol-powered model smooth shifting and remarkably fluid, but the fuel economy observed in several of the cars we sampled was less than impressive (16.7L/100km average, as tested).

The hybrid, too, showed figures nearer those of the outgoing V8 (14.0L/100km average, as tested) and combined with more perceptible gear shifts – and steps between petrol and electric operation – it seems better suited to city running than cruising than it does the open road.

Lexus LS 500h Executive Package 4885

The last word
While the polished feel at the wheel and refined performance of the LS are likely to be of little consequence to those occupying the back seat, they show that Lexus’ new GA-L framework is as capable in this iteration as it is in the LC Coupe.

This is a wonderfully smooth and quiet vehicle to pilot, and one that it as beautifully crafted as it is to admire.

The exterior styling – especially the over-sized spindle grille – may not be to everyone’s taste, but the quality of materials and overall fit and finish is certain to impress, especially once sat inside.

Lexus LS 500h D818730

There’s not a single element of this car that hasn’t been crafted conscientiously; and if standing out from the crowd is any measure, the LS rates a perfect score.

Yet this is a vehicle that lacks the autonomous driving technology of its peers, and one that challenges what’s acceptable where fuel consumption is concerned.

Lexus will no doubt continue to satisfy the high standards its customers expect from the LS and the brand’s unmatched after-sales support. But whether it will challenge its contemporaries in the same way the original did back in 1989 is now very much up for debate.

Lexus LS 500 V6 D818331

2017 Lexus LS 500 pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol
Output: 310kW/600Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: TBC (16.7L/100km as tested)
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: TBC

2017 Lexus LS 500h pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 petrol and synchronous electric motor
Output: 220kW/348Nm and 132kW/300Nm (264kW combined system power)
Transmission: Continuously variable and four-speed automatic
Fuel: TBC (14.0L/100km as tested)
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: TBC

Related reading:
>> Lexus debuts new LS
>> Lexus LS 500h powertrain revealed
>> Lexus LS 500 F Sport unveiled

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Written byMatt Brogan
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
84/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
18/20
Safety & Technology
16/20
Behind The Wheel
17/20
X-Factor
16/20
Pros
  • Stealthy twin-turbo V6 power
  • Stunning body sculpture and finish
  • Impeccable handling and ride comfort
Cons
  • Less autonomous tech than peers
  • Unimpressive fuel consumption
  • Lacks soundtrack of the V8
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