Lexus Unveils Next-Generation LS Flagship

DETROIT – Lexus unveils the next-generation of its LS flagship sedan this morning at the 2017 North American International Auto Show here, with pronouncements about what the car can do for the premium industry.

“Not only will the LS symbolize the Lexus brand, it will become the definitive new-generation luxury car embodying Japanese tradition and culture,” Toshio Asahi, LS chief engineer, says in a statement. “As such, this global pinnacle must go far beyond what the world expects from a luxury car.”

Due in late 2017, the fifth-generation LS will use a 10-speed automatic transmission, as does the forthcoming Lexus LC 500 coupe. The high number of gears is becoming a trend, and Lexus follows in the footsteps of General Motors and Ford which are launching a jointly developed 10-speed in the Chevy Camaro and Ford F-150.

The transmission will be paired to a 415-hp twin-turbo V-6 in lieu of the ’17 model’s naturally aspirated 386-hp V-8. The Toyota luxury marque promises the 3.5L mill will offer “V-8 power without sacrificing fuel economy – all while minimizing noise and vibration.”

The engine is rated at 442 lb.-ft. (599 Nm) of torque and Lexus touts the long stroke and optimized stroke-to-bore ratio as contributing to a 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.5 seconds in rear-wheel-drive models.

The Lexus V-6 splits the difference between BMW’s 7-Series engines, a twin-turbo 3.0L inline 6-cyl., making 320 hp and 332 lb.-ft. (450 Nm) of torque and a 4.4L twin-turbo V-8, making 445 hp and 479 lb.-ft. (649 Nm) of torque.

The Mercedes-Benz S550 also has a V-8 with twin turbochargers, displacing 4.7L and making 449 hp.

Both BMW and Mercedes also offer V-12 turbos. There is no mention from Lexus on whether it will match those in the near future.

The LS rides on a longer-wheelbase version of Toyota’s new global luxury platform, GA-L, which also underpins the LC coupe. Lexus says the platform balances performance and agility with comfort, thanks to a wide-and-low stance enhancing its center of gravity.

While the new LS has a 1.3-in. (33-mm) longer wheelbase than the outgoing model, the car’s platform and body lost 200 lbs. (91 kg) from ’17 to ’18 due to ultra-high-strength steel and aluminum, the latter material said to be used extensively throughout the suspension. The weight savings as well as the new engine and cabin, both placed more central and lower in the chassis, improve driving performance, Lexus says.

The car’s multilink suspension advances with double ball joints on upper and lower control arms to control small inputs, as well as raise wheel control and improve initial steering effort.

Massaging Seats, Air Suspension Available

The Germans have raised the bar high for interior comfort and technology, and Lexus aims to meet them thanks to features such as 28-way power front seats with heating, cooling and massage functions, and optional rear seats with the same functions, as well as a 48-degree reclining rear seat that also can raise up 24 degrees for easier exiting.

However, the LS appears to lack some of the more surprise-and-delight-oriented features of the 7-Series, such as gesture control or in-vehicle tablet computers.

Like most recent Lexuses, Japanese culture inspired the car’s interior surfaces. Lanterns inspired ambient lighting and floating door-mounted armrests.

Laser-cut wood trim patterns, art wood organic, art wood herringbone and gray sapele wood with aluminum, are inspired by Shimamoku wood patterns.

It wouldn’t be a Lexus if it wasn’t quite inside, so the brand found new sound-suppression methods to “further hush the environment compared to previous LS models.” The car once again has an active noise control system to cancel some engine-noise frequencies entering the cabin via antiphase speaker sound.

There’s a 12.3-in. (31-cm) touchscreen, but the car’s optional 24-in. (61-cm) color head-up display is touted as the largest in the world. A next-generation remote-touchpad “is designed to mimic smartphone operation, also supporting handwritten input.”

Thanks to its lower stance, the LS now offers an air suspension with an access function, which can automatically raise the vehicle and open seat bolsters when the car is unlocked.

Lexus promises high levels of active and passive safety on the LS, including its Safety System+ suite of technologies and an advanced safety package. The latter touts world-first intuitive pedestrian detection with active steering within the lane. The technology can brake and possibly steer the car if a pedestrian is detected in front of the car and a collision is imminent, says Lexus. The HUD, if the car is equipped with the technology, provides driver alerts in this scenario.

The car’s exterior veers toward a 4-door coupe design rather than a traditional 3-box sedan look, which the brand says “holds stronger appeal for younger luxury customers.”

LS sales have been trending down in recent years, falling 23.0% last year to 5,514, as have sales of large luxury sedans as a whole, while buyers flock to small sport-luxury sedans and CUVs.

At a 2012 media event for the LS’ midcycle refresh, a Lexus executive predicted “fewer and fewer sales” over time, citing the Baby Boomers who bought most large-luxury sedans wanting to downsize.

LS sales reached their peak in 1990 with 42,806 deliveries.

The all-electric Tesla Model S placed first in WardsAuto’s Upper Luxury Car segment last year, with 26,605 sales. The Mercedes Benz S-Class was second, with 18,803 deliveries, while the 7-Series was third with 12,918 sales. The S-Class fell 14.3%, but 7-Series sales rose 39.0%.

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