What's the news?
Lexus revealed the LS 500h hybrid luxury saloon at the Geneva Motor Show; following the petrol-powered LS 500, launched earlier this year in Detroit. It shares the Lexus Global Architecture - Luxury (GA-L) platform as the LC coupe, but with a longer wheelbase to suit the LS's limousine role. According to Lexus the hybrid LS; 'presents brave design, exhilarating performance and a sophisticated appeal to capture the imagination of forward-thinking, younger customers'.
Exterior
Lexus has tried to combine the space of a traditional saloon with the style of a four-door coupe. The LS 500h only comes in long-wheelbase form; it is 35mm longer than the current LS 600h and is 15mm lower. Departing from Lexus tradition the body features six side windows - fitted flush with the side pillars - to give a sleek silhouette. Finishing the body is a mesh textured grille with thousands of individual surfaces that appear to change in different light.
Interior
The interior celebrates Japanese aesthetics and craftsmanship; Lexus uses the word 'omotenashi', expressing the unique sense of Japanese hospitality to define the LS 500h's cabin. There are new origami-inspired hand-pleated door trims and hand-crafted designs created by Kiriko artisan glassworkers for the inner door panels.
To make the driver's life easy all the information displays are at the same height; so there is no need to change posture behind the wheel. The driver and front passenger get 28-way power seats with heating, cooling and massage functions. Back-seat passengers get more room than in any previous LS and there is the option of an extending leg ottoman seat.
Mechanicals
Drive comes from the Lexus Multi Stage Hybrid System; with a V6 petrol engine of 3.5-litres and two electric motors. The total output is 354hp, it is claimed the LS 500h will do 0-100km/k in 5.4 seconds.
Drive is transmitted by the Multi Stage Hybrid System that simulates the feel of driving a ten-speed automatic. This gives a very high top gear for high-speed cruising at low RPM for optimum economy and refinement while improved artificial intelligence is said to select the optimum gear ratio for the driving conditions. For the first time in a Lexus hybrid there is a manual mode, allowing the driver to select and hold gears using paddles behind the steering wheel.
Anything else?
Active safety is supported by a number of sensors; monitoring the vehicle's surroundings in every direction. These are designed to prevent common types of accidents such as pedestrian collisions, rear-end shunts and lane departure incidents.
Here it is in action.
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