The term “flagship” gets a real workout with most automakers when describing their top-of-the-line offerings. Without a doubt, though, the 2018 Lexus LS 500 seems richly deserving of its exalted status.
For nearly three decades, the LS has been the image maker for the Lexus fleet. From day one, it has challenged other North American and European marques, while challenging perceptions about what a luxury car should be, and how buyers should be treated.
The latest design delivers more of just about everything you would expect in a premium ride, but encased in a properly understated package. Understated, that is, except for a more aggressive-looking spindle grille that’s the brand’s signature fashion statement. The remaining sheetmetal is more curvaceous and is devoid of the previous model’s slab-sided look. Lexus refers to the design as “coupe like,” but that’s just code for having a sloped rear roof section.
Compared with the outgoing model, the LS 500 has 15 more centimetres between the front and rear wheels and is nearly three centimetres longer than the previous-generation extended-length LS 460 L. Even so, the new one-size-only LS appears even larger, due to a slightly lower roofline, hood and trunk lid.
The cabin is more sumptuous than before, with richer-looking leather for the seat coverings and dashboard, and upgrades to the console and door trim. What’s most striking is the absolute simplicity of the dashboard. Most of the switches are located on the wood-trimmed steering wheel, while the bare minimum number of buttons are visible on the control panel — which is also home to a 31-centimetre touchscreen — and floor console.
The LS’s new platform has been engineered for stiffness and weight savings. There’s more high-strength steel as well as aluminum in play, while the centre of gravity is slightly lower than before.
Many makers of high-end cars are discarding their V-8 engines for turbocharged V-6s, and Lexus is no exception. For 2018, the LS 500 runs with a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V-6 that makes 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Compared with the previous V-8 in the LS 460, the V-6 represents a significant gain of 56 horsepower and 95 pound-feet.
Lexus claims the 2,240-kilogram LS can hit 100 kilometres per hour from rest in 4.6 seconds, which is quicker than the LS 460 by nearly a second. This level of performance in a top-end luxury sedan is nothing short of game-changing.
A 10-speed automatic transmission (two more gears than the previous car) directs power to the rear wheels or all four with the all-wheel-drive option.
For buyers wanting to appear frugal and somewhat eco-friendly, the LS 500h hybrid’s powertrain carries over essentially unchanged. The system’s non-turbo 295-horsepower 3.5-litre V-6 combines with two electric motors to produce a net 354 horsepower. The hybrid is no slouch, either, hitting 100 km/h from rest in 5.1 seconds, says Lexus.
As with the LS 500, the LS 500h comes with all-wheel-drive, and its fuel-economy rating of 10.3 l/100 km city and 7.6 highway is better than the LS 500’s 13.0/8.7 numbers, especially for the city cycle, which is where hybrids tend to excel.
The LS 500 is priced at $104,800, including destination fees, which is about $8,600 more than the base cost of the outgoing LS 460. That sum gets buyers a wealth of luxury and safety gear, but they’ll need to step up to the LS 500h hybrid ($136,150) to get air suspension, Shiatsu massaging front seats and heated “relaxation” rear seats with inflatable air bladders plus other extras.
For more flair, the LS can be ordered with an F Sport package that includes a stiffer suspension, beefier brakes, unique grille and rocker panels, and black 20-inch wheels.
Clearly, the LS is now decidedly different in content and character. It might not leave the competition quaking in their run-flat tires, but the LS should stir the soul of Lexus fans like never before.
