2024 Lexus LS sticks with internal combustion while BMW i7, Mercedes EQS and Audi e-tron GT electric cars charge ahead on pure-electric power

While the German ‘Big Three’ have embraced the EV age with large luxury four-doors like the Audi e-tron GT, BMW i7 and Mercedes-Benz EQS, the Lexus LS continues with (primarily) internal combustion power for the 2024 model year.

Although a pure-electric LS is rumoured to arrive in the second half of this decade, overnight reports suggest, in the short term, only incremental tech and comfort-focused upgrades are being applied to the fifth-generation version of the Japanese premium brand’s flagship.

According to motor1.com a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster has been added to help freshen up the car’s information suite, with camera-based drive recorders also installed front and rear.

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Additional app compatibility, at least in the Japanese domestic market, means MY24 LS owners will be able to lock and unlock the doors and start their car via smartphone. And the LS500h’s ‘Advanced Park’ system now features a remote, app-driven function.

At the same time, the electrified LS500h has picked up an external power supply attachment to provide electric back up in emergencies.

The suspension has also come in for some attention with ‘Comfort’ mode revised to better suppress vibrations, particularly at the rear. And the exhaust system’s flexible rubber hangers have been repositioned to further improve refinement.

In terms of safety, the LS’s ‘Advanced Drive’ system (active cruise, lane-trace assist, automated lane change/overtaking) now features support for traffic jams at speeds up to 40 km/h, with the ‘Lexus Safety System +’ retuned in its pedestrian, bicycle and parked vehicle detection functionality.

But the under-bonnet and drivetrain hardware remains unchanged, with a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 matched to a 10-speed auto transmission (in Australian models) driving the rear wheels in both the combustion-only LS500 (310kW/600Nm) and petrol-electric hybrid LS500h (220kW/350Nm).

Meanwhile the all-wheel-drive Audi e-tron GT’s twin electric motors pump out 350kW/630Nm, the dual-motor AWD BMW i7 delivers 400kW/745Nm and the similarly dual-motor AWD Mercedes EQS tips in with 484kW/950Nm, all with zero tailpipe emissions.

The 2024 Lexus LS is scheduled to go on sale in Japan from October 16, 2023 and CarsGuide has contacted Lexus Australia for confirmation of the model’s year upgrades coming to the local market and details on any pricing adjustment.

For reference, the current LS500 ranges from $195,660 - $210,790, before on-road costs, and the LS500h from $194,595 - $209,715 BOC.