LEXUS ‘LS’ 2018Te s t d r i ve
YOU’LLNEEDCLOSETO$200KTOJUMPINTHENEWFIFTH-GENERATION
LEXUS SEDAN. THANKFULLY THAT INCLUDES FREE MASSAGES AND A PUNCHY V6.
STYLING
Thatgrille.Muchlike
the ongoing dad sneaker
trend,it’salookthat
divides opinion, and has
done since first being
introduced in 2010. But
it’smeanttobebold–and
while we’re no fans of the
so-called ‘spindle grille’
hereitseemstowork.
Becausethisisashouty
corporate cruiser with
immediate swagger and
youthfulcharm–a
three-piece suit coupled
with Common Projects
sneakers rather than the
staid button-up two
pieces still being sported
by Audi’s ‘A8’, Merc’s
‘S-Class’ and BMW’s
‘7 Series’. The new ‘LS’
is low, long and lithe – an
appealing beast in looks,
despite its heft.
DRIVING
Therearebumpsinthem
there country roads out
Tassie way – not that we
felt many given the
brilliance of the LS 500’s
air suspension and
coupled tech. Things
were a little more
pronounced in sportier
modes, but still nothing
too jarring – and it’s these
modes you need to
engageifyouwantto
feel anything other than
the steering which is
arguably a little light.
And while both the ‘Sports
Luxury’ and ‘F Sport’
variants aren’t exactly the
desired weapons in which
to attack a mountain of
ascending turns, the
handling was still
responsive for
a car of this size.ENGINE
This was the real surprise
when belting the ‘LS 500’
about the east coast of
Tassie – especially given
the Japanese marque has
dumped the former LS’s
V8.Wewalkedaway
impressed with just how
damn good the new V6 is.
A3.5-litretwin-turbo,it
produces 310kw/600Nm
viaa10-speedautobox–
punchy and responsive
andwithanaudiblenote
out back when not sitting
in ‘Comfort’ or normal
settings.Ifyoumustknow,
the‘LS500h’(hybrid)
features a 220kW/350Nm
3.5-litre naturally
aspirated V6 (a different
engine to the straight 500)
plus two electric motors
for a combined power
output of 264kW.INTERIOR
As expected, the
cabin here is roomy,
with class-leading
refinement and some
of the softest leather
we’ve had the pleasure
of meeting. While there’s
still no Apple ‘CarPlay’
nor Android ‘Auto’
connectivity’, there’s
abeastlyMarkLevinson
surround-sound set up
of 23 speakers to get lost
in.Still,allyoureally
need know is that the ‘LS
500SportLuxury’offers
a rear seat that reclines
likeaBarcalounger
(replete with leg support)
and features a series of
massage options that
actually help sort out
the kinks. Commuting in
traffichasneverbeen
so pleasurable.PRICE/
DELIVERY
Thelatest‘LS’isavailable
todrivenow-or,be
drivenin.Wesaythisas
realisticallyalotofwhat
itwillbedoingisferrying
about suited types
buried in their phones.
The‘FSport’startsat
$190,500 and the
‘Sports Luxury’ is yours
from $195,500. That’s
cheaperthanthebase
outings of its direct
Germanic competitors,
though then there’s the
additional options
andthingscanbedialled
up rather quickly -
especially given we
were rather partial to the
Kiriko Glass with black
door trim thats comes
via a so-called
‘enhancement pack’.WHERE TO
DRIVE IT
From the rear
seat, reclined
past 45º and being
massaged,aherbal
tea wedged in the
rear-centre
console with some
relaxing music
that’s not Enya.
Failing that, jump
in the front and
devour some
open road.ONE THING
WE’D CHANGE
That haptic
touchpad
controller for
the infotainment
systemhastogo.
It’s clunky and
at times arduous
touse-andreally
doesn’t stack
up against the
competition’s dials
and buttons.FUN FACTSWORDS: RICHARD CLUNE.