The LS badge is the oldest in the Lexus range and has stood as the brand’s flagship since it was first introduced to the global market back in 1989. This new fifth-generation model has just been revealed in Detroit, and is based on the GA-L platform used by the LC 500 Coupe, meaning that the new executive sedan will be both lower and wider than before.
The LS features a dramatic exterior design and large windows, and sits on a set of 19-inch wheels (20-inch wheels are optional). The interior, on the other hand, does not adopt a new design direction and looks much like a revised layout found in the current LS (and includes an optional Mark Levinson surround sound speaker system).
Mechanically, the Lexus LS boasts a new 3,5-litre biturbo V6 which delivers 310 kW and 600 N.m of torque to the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. The result is a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 4,5 seconds (in all-wheel drive models, it must be added).
Along with the new GA-L platform comes the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system that serves to optimise braking, steering, powertrain and suspension systems in order to keep the large sedan as balanced as possible.
The luxury sedan will be released in 90 different countries. Expect to see it in South Africa in the first quarter of 2018, with local specifications set to be released closer to the time.
