Back in February 2019, we brought you local pricing for the new Lexus LS500 F Sport derivative. And now the newcomer has officially arrived in South Africa.
As we pointed out in that original story, the F Sport derivative is priced at R1 975 900, which makes it some R175 200 less expensive than the standard LS500 (which is priced from R2 151 100).
Lexus South Africa describes the LS500 as “more luxury-biased” than the F Sport model, boasting features such as a vibrating seat massage function and seat ventilation, both for front and rear occupants.
Still, the F Sport version gains plenty of its own special features, including a model-specific grille, fetching F Sport 20-inch alloys and added exterior badging, as well as an F Sport steering wheel, new alloy pedals and sports seats finished in “smooth leather”. Suede headlining and various fresh bits of interior trim are also included, along with a special speedometer and tachometer in a movable meter.
The F Sport model furthermore boasts 245/45 RF20 front and 275/40 RF20 rear tyres, along with larger brakes (six-piston callipers fore and four-piston items aft), variable gear ratio steering and what Lexus describes as “sport-tuned” air suspension.
Power comes from an unchanged twin-turbo 3,5-litre V6 petrol engine worth 310 kW and 600 N.m, and again mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission. Both a seven-year/105 000 km warranty and full maintenance plan (with service intervals of 15 000 km) ship standard.
