Latest Lexus LS460 is impressive

It’s silky smooth, quiet, powerful and of course comfortable – everything you’d pleasantly expect in a luxury sedan. Welcome to Lexus’s latest LS460 flagship model.

Lexus – the luxury division of Toyota – says that since its launch in 2006, the current generation LS has been given more than 2,500 ongoing improvements, and although the “new” LS isn’t actually new, Lexus engineers have added another 3,000 changes, including three world firsts, and no less than 15 Lexus firsts in the improved LS.

The US is the first and largest market for Lexus – to date more than 730,000 LS sedans have been sold there since it was first launched in 1989. So it was not surprising that the international media launch for the “Big Minor Change” model was also held in the San Francisco area.

I remember being impressed with the refinement and attention to detail of the outgoing model back home in 2007. Well, the new model is even better, although it is still built on the same platform and powered by the same engine (which has been tweaked for slightly more power while producing 9 per cent lower emissions).

Design-wise, you’ll come across a few updates, including the spindle front grille that is the most striking change, but in general it looks basically the same, especially when seen from the side.

The new car is 30mm longer (the front and rear overhangs have been increased by 10mm and 20mm, respectively) while the wheelbase remains unchanged at 2,970 (Thai customers will get the long wheelbase version).

Lexus says it did not offer a new engine for the LS because it has yet to finalise details on the next-generation engine. The problem is that larger engines such as the V8 are losing popularity to smaller 6-cylinder engines that can now produce plenty of torque, and Lexus is waiting to see how the trend continues. There’s a possibility that the LS in future could sport a new engine with a smaller displacement.

This would also allow it to compete more aggressively against the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, both of which are available with a variety of gasoline and diesel engines.

The current LS460’s 4.6-litre V8 powerplant pumps out 387hp and 493Nm, and is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The engine and transmission are silky-smooth in operation and offer plenty of power. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 5.7 seconds, and the top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h.

The media drive event was held near San Francisco, and routed through huge American freeways as well as beautiful winding roads that cut through a redwood forest.

Plenty of torque means the LS can accelerate quickly while merging with moving traffic on freeways in the United States, which is probably the largest home of V8 vehicles in the world.

The ride is as smooth and quiet as you’d expect from a Lexus flagship, and the best place to be in this car is still the back seat, which comes with reclining seats, thigh and foot-rest support, and even a massage function (for the long wheelbase version). The seats also come with a ventilation system as well as heater.

Although LS cars sold in Asia including Thailand are chauffeur-driven, many Americans drive their LS by themselves, and this has prompted Lexus to improve the driving characteristics.

The steering is sharper and the car seems to corner more happily now (despite its 5-metre length). There is also a Drive Mode Select function similar to German rivals offering Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sports and Sports+ choices. Adjustments have been made to the engine, suspension and steering accordingly in each mode.

And thanks to increased body rigidity and steering support as well as aerodynamics, stability and handling agility have been improved to a much more acceptable level, although I’d still give the BMW 7 Series the edge in this respect.

But to compete with the 7 Series, I’d suggest the F Sport package, which is available for the first time.

Here you get 19-inch wheels and 6-piston Brembo front brake calipers, sports seats, leather trim on the steering and gear lever, a 10mm lowered ride height, enhanced body rigidity, Torsen limited slip differential, an Active Stabiliser system, and last but not least, an intake sound creator for a more engaging engine note.

Toyota Motor Thailand, the distributor of Lexus here, has not decided whether to offer the F Sport package. As mentioned, the majority of LS buyers sit at the back, and most of the cars are purchased as company vehicles for Japanese executives based in Thailand.

Nevertheless, this shows the direction in which Lexus is heading. Apart from offering the highest levels of craftsmanship and great attention to detail, it also wants to offer more emotion.

In terms of safety, the LS460 is fully loaded. Among the new features are the Blind Spot Monitor and Automatic High Beam. There are 10 airbags as well as a Pre-Crash safety system.

The Lexus LS460 may not be the most popular luxury car in the market, but it doesn’t mean that it lags behind others in technology.

The LS is able to kick ass in many areas, especially in terms of passenger comfort and assembly quality. And although performance figures are basically unchanged from the outgoing model, driving dynamics have been dramatically improved.

The only problem seems to be the unavailability of a smaller engine choice. Perhaps a good 3.0- or 3.5-litre V6 could offer adequate performance as well as help bring down the retail price. 

 

How it hit the road 

In August 1983, Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Eiji Toyoda challenged senior executives to build, quite simply, “the best luxury car in the world”.

Conceived under the tenet “Everything we can do in one car”, and driven by a fundamental philosophy at the heart of the new Lexus brand – “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection” – it took 1,400 engineers and 2,300 technicians, 450 prototypes and six years to complete the LS 400. Two years after the vehicle’s introduction in 1989, Lexus had become the best-selling luxury import brand in America.

 

LEXUS LS460 SPECS

 

Engine: 32-valve V8

Displacement: 4,608cc

Bore and stroke: 94x83mm

Max power: 387hp/6,400rpm

Max torque: 493Nm/4,100rpm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Ratios: 4.596/2,724/1.863/1.464/1.231/1.000/0.824/0.685

Suspension (f/r): Independent, upper and lower multi-link double joint-suspension arms with coil-over mono-tube shock absorbers and stabiliser bar/Independent, multi-link double joint-suspension arms with coil-over mono-tube shock absorbers and stabiliser bar

Steering: powered rack-and-pinion

Min turn: 10.8 metres

Brakes (f/r): vented discs/vented discs with ABS, EBD and BA

Fuel economy (litres/100km)

City: 12.9

Highway: 8.2

Performance

0-100km/h: 5.7 secs

Top speed: 250km/h

Dimensions (mm)

Length: 5,030

Width: 1,875

Height: 1,475

Wheelbase: 2,970

Track (f/r): 1,610/1,615

Wheels: 18-in alloys

Tyres: 235/50R18

Min clearance: 156mm

Weight: 1,925kg

Fuel tank capacity: 84 litres

Price: n/a