LS IS MORE(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 78

With the improved fifth generation version of its large luxury saloon, the LS, Lexus looks to showcase all it can be. As before, there's a non-Plug-in hybrid petrol 3.5-litre V6 beneath the bonnet and the option of AWD if you want it. But interior media connectivity has taken a big step forward with the installation of a new 'Lexus Link Pro' multimedia system. Beyond that, as ever, luxury, refinement and sheer attention to detail all get top billing.

Background word count: 241

The Lexus LS. Back in 1989, the launch of the original version of this model redefined what a luxury saloon should be, the engineers behind it tasked to create nothing less than 'the best luxury car in the world'. Few would argue that they succeeded. It seems rather ridiculous now to remember that back then, the European makers who ruled the flagship four-door market sector defined luxury as being as much about wood and leather as it was about ride and refinement. Thanks to this Japanese brand, cars of this kind were finally transformed from boardroom barges to the technological showcases buyers had a right to expect from their inflated price tags. Today, the LS is still a technological showcase, but it isn't the obvious segment choice that it was for a brief period in the early Nineties until the European opposition caught up. The engineers have been working on that though, the result being the improved version of the fifth generation model we're going to look at here, a boardroom segment full-Luxury saloon that claims to offer a rather unique blend of design, technology and performance, extending the boundaries of automotive luxury. That's quite a claim when other rivals in this segment include contenders as accomplished as the Mercedes S-Class, the BMW 7 Series and the Audi A8. Launched in 2017, then updated four years on, the latest version of this car also features big cabin upgrades in media connectivity.

Driving Experience word count: 356

In the past, Lexus hasn't ever bothered to make the LS feel in any way sporty - and doesn't see any need to start now. Most owners spend 90% of their drive time in the most normal of the provided drive modes, using light throttle inputs - usually around town. So this current LS model's 3.5-litre V6 full-Hybrid petrol engine aims to be better in that environment, where it most matters. In recent years, the engineers have increased the level of assistance delivered by the hybrid system's lithium-ion battery. That in turn reduces the amount of throttle the car needs to accelerate, resulting in what the brand calls a 'smoother and more linear' acceleration curve. More comfortable city driving is the result, though Lexus claims there are also benefits when it comes to winding roads and hill starts. That greater battery output allows the petrol engine to operate at lower revs, reducing vibration and noise. There have been other changes in recent years to the drive experience too. The 'AVS' 'Adaptive Variable Suspension' system has been updated to improve ride quality. Plus the engine mounts have been changed. And thicker seat bases have been added and tyre sidewall stiffness reduced, so occupants are less likely to feel tarmac vibration. To suit the current zeitgeist, there are also more autonomous driving features. Otherwise, things are much as they've always been with this MK5 LS. The 3.5-litre petrol V6 fitted to the single LS500h model puts out 295bhp but is boosted by a hybrid system to produce a 'total system output' of 354bhp. This package powers the rear wheels in most models which are suspended at each corner by multi-link suspension units. There's also an AWD version available for those wanting it. In other markets, this powerplant comes fitted with twin turbochargers; unfortunately, we don't get that version here, which means that the engine has quite a job on shifting nearly 2.5-tonnes of Oriental real estate. Still, 62mph from rest is dispatched on just 5.4s in the rear-driven variants, en route to a top speed that as usual in cars of this kind is artificially restricted at 155mph.