Lexus LS Reviews

The mid-size Lexus NX SUV will start at $55K and carry the hopes for sales growth.The key to Lexus' growth in Australia turns from $55,000. That's the starting price for the coming NX, a mid-sized SUV that's set to become the Japanese brand's bestseller Down Under.Similar in size to the RAV4, and sharing some parts under the skin, the NX is planned to continue growth which hit 8 per cent through the first half of 2014 and is predicted to continue at 5-10 per cent for at least the next five years.The first of the aggressively styled NX models for Australia is the 300h, with the front-drive model opening the batting. An all-wheel-drive version is $59,500 and the flagship Sports Luxury version is $75,000. The NX petrol turbo, with a 2.0-litre engine also set for the IS sedan, follows but Lexus is not revealing prices until closer to its arrival next year. It is, however, talking big on the impact of the NX."To grow the business we have to attract new customers. Our indication right now is that around 75 per cent will be new customers. In our world, that is significant," Lexus Australia boss Sean Hanley says. "I think there will be, naturally, some existing customers that will come down from RX because it sits in a sweet spot. But it won't be huge numbers." Standard equipment on the 300h runs from predictable 18-inch alloys, reversing camera and satnav to the more surprising powered second-row seats and "inductive" phone charging, a first for the Toyota group although it is an option at Jeep. The charging works through a touchpad in the centre console, although it is not suitable for all brands."There are a lot of good things. Already we have over 100 orders in the system, just for the hybrid," Hanley says. He says Lexus has concentrated on getting the price right for the hybrid, because it is becoming the dominant force in Lexus models."We're seeing more acceptance as the premium on hybrid reduces. If you look at the IS 300h, the only thing preventing that outselling the IS 250 is production capacity." Hanley says Lexus is doing well this year, even though it's nowhere near threatening Mercedes-Benz for luxury-class leadership in Australia."My expectation is we'll grow 5-10 per cent year-on-year. IS is doing very well and the NX will give us extra growth opportunities, and RC coupe is another opportunity for us," he says. 'I would hope to (sell about) 7000 cars this year."

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the 2014 Lexus IS F, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the new Lexus RC F at its international launch.

Lexus NX SUV arrives in NX300h hybrid form in October, priced from $55,000.

Upcoming RC F coupe is the most potent Lexus V8 yet.Prestige makers such as Lexus are taking over from Ford and Holden as custodians of Australia's V8 heritage.An all-new Japanese road runner, the Lexus RC F coupe, is just around the corner and it's all about the performance package centred on its V8. The engine is the most powerful yet from Lexus, which has had a smoothly efficient V8 at its heart since the original LS400 in 1989.The new 5.0-litre V8 is packing more than 330kW and 520Nm of torque, figures set to run it head-on into the latest BMW M4 coupe and next year's all-new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. We will have full details later this week after the global press preview drive of the landmark two-door in New York."There is definitely a 5.0-litre V8 coming in the RC," says Lexus Australia spokesman Tyson Bowen. "It will produce more than 300kW and more than 500 Nm, yet deliver fuel efficiency better than 11.4L/100km The V8's output is not a threat to the supercharged 6.3-litre V8 in the HSV GTS, which makes 430kW.However, the difference is the Lexus engine has a future well beyond the end of local production of the Ford Falcon and Commodore. The V8-powered headliners from the red and blue teams are selling as well as ever, and better than ever if they have an HSV or FPV badge, but their time is running out.That means a V8 future in Australia is likely to wear an upscale badge from a brand such as Lexus, or Benz or BMW, or perhaps even Infiniti. Add to that performance brands such as Porsche and Aston Martin. And there will be V8s, including diesels, in top-end four-wheel-drive tow machines including the Range Rover, Toyota LandCruiser and the latest - pricey and unpopular - Nissan Patrol.Lexus says there is an obvious appeal in V8 engines, which is why it already has three V8-powered models - the LS, IS and LX SUV - in its Australian line-up. "We have V8s for a number of reasons. In the IS F it's all about performance and the visceral sound performance and acceleration that comes with a V8," Bowen says. "In the LS it's a slightly different proposition, because V8s are smooth and efficient. They are not stressed because they are not driven as hard."In the LX, it's about the flexibility and torque for low-end pulling power for towing, and the efficiency at cruising speeds."Bowen is not going into detail on the RC F, even though it's less than a week away from the public spotlight, but he is happy to discuss the Lexus obsession with V8s. "The original proposition was about the quietness, efficiency and refinement when you go back to the original LS 400 in 1989.Remember they famously balanced a coin on the engine to highlight its smoothness, they stacked a pile of wine glasses for a television commercial. They also use that 4.0-litre V8 in ultralight aircraft, because it can run so lean and for so long without troubles."

Polo, CT200h and Lexus IS get maximum safety rating.The latest round of crash-test rankings has given five stars to a trio of fresh cars - while also giving them a backhander over the absence of safety gear that is standard on other models or in other markets.ANCAP takes the VW Polo and two Lexus models, the IS sedan and CT200h hybrid, to task for the entry-level variants' lack of active safety features fitted in other markets.As of this month, the Polo has emergency stop signal and secondary brake collision assist as standard. However, the base model does not have autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (ACC), driver fatigue detection and reversing collision warnings.The Lexus CT200h also lacks ACC and AEB on the entry-level model. The IS sedan came under fire for the absence of those two items and lane departure warning - and for blind spot monitoring being standard only on top-spec examples.The IS, however, earns praise for its 'active' bonnet. In a collision with a pedestrian, the bonnet panel rises to provide additional clearance from the top of the engine to protect the pedestrian from serious head injury.ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh says the authority aims to encourage the car makers to include the equipment as standard. But it stops short of changing the requirements for a five-star ranking to include these features as standard.“We are continuing to see the majority of these important technologies either being withheld from base variants or not available at all," McIntosh says."I don't think it is unreasonable to say, -if you make these devices available in Europe, why not make them available here?' 'If we are to see a significant drop in the number of lives lost on our roads, these technologies need to be provided to all. Safety should not be seen as luxury or added extra."Costs of road trauma are huge, with 30,000 seriously injured every year here. In the US, autonomous emergency braking is credited with cutting the crash rate by 25 or 30 per cent - a huge number." VW Australia spokesman Karl Gehling says the company's decisions on whether to fit safety features are based on customer demand."We have offered these options on entry models. The data suggest buyers of the entry models were basing their decisions on value (rather than safety) and the take-up was less than 5 per cent." "The features on the Polo are class-leading and while we would love to be able to include them as standard they do come at a cost and we have to be conscious of what the consumer is going to bear. We could offer everything in one vehicle but if no one buys it there's no benefit to anyone."

Lexus RC-F chief engineer gives a behind-the scenes look at the new BMW M4 rival's development.Lexus has put the BMW M4 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG on notice with its upcoming RC-F performance coupe.The successor to the screaming IS-F sedan is set to feature a 330kW plus 5.0-litre V8, sending power to the rear wheels via a tricky torque vectoring differential. Lexus aren't saying just how quick it is yet, or exactly how much power it uses to get there, but the RC F chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi assures it wasn't engineered just for speed, but for maximum driving enjoyment as well."The most distinctive characteristic is the emotional depth of driving enjoyment offered to drivers of any skill level," he says. Given that much of the RC-F's development time was spent at the Nurburgring, we're inclined to believe him.

Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Lexus GS 300h.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Lexus ES350, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.