Lexus LS600H 2016 News

The upper-luxury car market is in a state of serious decline in many countries at the moment, with sales in Australia for example down by more than half in recent times. People either can’t afford cars, or don’t want to be seen in ostentatious vehicles, or, and this is the most likely among many of the very rich, are going for highly equipped SUVs. Lexus has been the leading Japanese upper-luxury car market worldwide for more years than its competitors care to remember. When the first Lexus, the LS Line, was introduced in 1990 it was greeted with considerable scepticism by many pundits. These people have since been proven wrong. Extreme quietness and smoothness were combined with a level of build quality that was close to perfection right from the start made many consider the Lexus LS400, as it was then, as an option instead of one of the big two German marques. Now in a move that’s surprised many, Lexus has given the LS Line a major working over in the styling stakes, giving it a shape that’s anything but ordinary. The new Lexus LS’s big ‘spindle-grille’ front is complemented by flowing lines that could almost be Italian in the flair of their flare. Upper-luxury cars tend to be on the conservative side, with the Audi, BMW and Mercedes offerings being much more conventional in their bodies. Only time will tell if the Lexus planners have got it right...Due to the need to keep the cost of the redevelopment of the latest Lexus LS Line under control during the harsh years of the GFC this is not an all-new model.  Rather it carries much of the existing ‘skeleton‘ but with significant changes in shape and mechanically. The doors and the roof panels have been carried over but everything has been reshaped. The floorpan has been strengthened and has had some aerodynamic aids added to further reduce noise levels and at the same time make it a little slicker through the air to minimise fuel consumption and emissions. Inside there have been major revisions to the seats and dash area, with the very large central screen being borrowed from the all-new Lexus GS we reported on recently. This unit holds a lot of information but does so in a way that minimise distraction to the driver. Technology upgrades are a feature of this Lexus. The very sophisticated air conditioning system has numerous sensors that monitor interior temperature in several locations, even including the seats, as well as readings of humidity. In the topline models there’s even checking of the strength of infrared rays coming through the glass. Equally fascinating is the fact that the clock. It is designed to look like a traditional old-style unit, but is actually a high-tech electronic machine that keeps an eye on its poison on the planet using GPS satellites. Meaning it can update itself as it moves from one time zone to another. This smart clock is just thing for the time-confused folks living in Coolangatta / Tweed Heads who can lose or pick up an hour just by driving across an intersection when daylight saving is force in NSW! Major primary safety features are driver fatigue and inattention warnings and automatic collision avoidance, or crash severity mitigation if avoidance becomes impossible. Lexus tells us suspension changes are aimed at giving the new Lexus LS a sportier feel without taking anything from the comfort and quietness that have been a hallmark of the model since the beginning. Though we have undertaken major technical presentations and looked over and under the new LS in detail, we are yet to drive it. So we can’t comment on the change in suspension philosophy. Stay tuned. The Lexus V8 engines are modified versions of the existing units and produce slightly more power while having lower petrol consumption and emitting less CO2. The automatic transmission is the same eight-speed unit that has been used in the superseded models. The exception is the hybrid version which uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT). To let it mimic a conventional auto the CVT has eight pre-set ratios that can be chosen by a driver who feels the computer has the car in the wrong ratios. As before, a petrol-electric LS variant is offered, but this time around it will be sold as standard with the short wheelbase, not the longer one seen previously. This has led to a price reduction of around $30,000. Similarly, Lexus found that most previous owners of the standard LS didn’t want the extended wheelbase, so that latter model is now sold only on special order. Lexus Australia tells us that around 90 per cent of LS buyers have bought themselves another LS when the time came to move up from their old car. The strikingly different shape of this new car may challenge that history - it will be interesting to witness what happens over the next year or so. Our feeling is that today’s older buyers are more amenable to change than those of previous generations – but, as we said previously, only time will tell. The new Lexus LS Line range is: LS 460 F Sport: $189,900 (automatic) LS 460 Sports Luxury: $192,400 (automatic) LS 600h Sport: $217,900 (automatic) LS 600hL: POA  

...but this time it needed to be anaesthetised.At a glance it looks like Lexus has simply grafted the new HSV-like grille onto the LS limousine’s nose. But the company says there are more than 3000 changes and 13 Lexus firsts – only the doors, roof and glass are carried over from before.It’s also loaded with technology – including seats that will heat and cool faster than before, an air-conditioning system that moisturises your skin and hair, and a tiny camera that checks if you’re too drowsy to drive. The big changes were brought about to try to arrest the sharp decline in sales of super luxury sedans.In the past six years, sales of limousines priced in excess of $100,000 have dropped sharply – by 33 per cent – in a market that’s grown by 10 per cent in that time. This year alone the cars classed as the top end of town have dropped a further 27 per cent as buyers embrace luxury SUVs.Lexus is lucky, however. It says 90 per cent of its LS buyers come back to buy another Lexus. And the Japanese maker is hoping it’s this one. The new LS goes on sale from February with sharper pricing across the range and a new sports model. The V8 and V8 hybrid power outputs are unchanged from before, although they are slightly more fuel-efficient.The price-tag is still eye-watering at $189,900 – a $1000 snip less than the old model. But the new LS is significantly cheaper than the V8-powered German competition, which starts at $238,000 for an Audi A8, $281,000 for a BMW 7 Series and $296,500 for a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But the Germans have diesel models under $200,000, whereas Lexus offers a V8 hybrid, which also happens to be all-wheel-drive. And costs $217,900. “The luxury car market has become more competitive and diverse,” says Lexus Australia chief executive Tony Cramb.“In 2006 passenger cars account for 71 per cent of the of the total luxury market, today that has fallen to 64 per cent . Cramb said the Global Financial Crisis also killed much of the long-wheelbase sedan business, with most buyers preferring standard limousines. “As a result of these sales trends, the large luxury car scene in Australia can now be characterised as predominantly a driver market rather than a driven market. “In other words, Australian buyers now prefer to drive themselves rather than be chauffeured.”TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTSThe clock automatically changes daylight saving time – and new time zones as you cross borders thanks to GPS co-ordinates. The timber steering wheel goes through 67 processes and takes 38 days to make. The seat warmers have more power (up from 100w to 200w of power) so they heat up in half the time.The perforated seats have larger holes which provide 42 per cent better airflow for faster cooling. Each front seat has 16-way electronic adjustment. The air-conditioning system uses nanoe technology, said to have a moisturising effect on skin and hair.The new LS has a built-in fatigue management system. A tiny camera on the steering column has facial and eyelid recognition. It focuses on the driver’s face and checks for drowsiness and attentiveness. Lexus claims the new LS is the quietest car in the world. The alloy wheels even have a hollow section behind the outer rim to save weight and reduce noise.The 12.3-inch-wide screen in the dash is the equal-biggest in the automotive world. The first was the Lexus GS mid-size sedan. Lexus claims the new LS has the smallest LED fog lamps in the automotive world (Poly Ellipsoid System, or PES). The indicators can be programmed to flash 3, 5,7, 9, or 11 times at half a movement of the stalk.Lexus LS460Price: From $189,900Engine: 4.6-litre V8Power: 285kW and 493Nm0 to 100km/h: 5.9 secondsThirst: 10.7L/100kmLexus LS600hPrice: From $217,900Engine: 5.0-litre V8 and hybrid electric motorPower: 327kW and 520Nm0 to 100: 5.7 secondsThirst: 8.6L/100km 

….to the biggest appointment of his life this weekend. The right royal Lexus is a custom-made original built to head the wedding fleet for the ruler of the super-rich city-state, although guests will not be short-changed as they will be chauffeured in a fleet of 7 Series BMWs to the ceremony for Prince Albert and former Olympic swimmer Carlene Wittstock. The wedding car for the ceremony on Saturday began life as a regular Lexus LS600h in Japan before being shipped to a Belgian coachbuilding company for conversion into a landaulet with a transparent polycarbonate roof. The actual roof piece only weighs 26 kilograms but its installation required massive research by Lexus and painstaking craftsmanship. It took more than 2000 hours to complete the conversion, which includes a number of Kevlar and carbon fibre pieces to maintain the original structural integrity of the Lexus following the removal of its metal roof. Around 20,000 individual parts were stripped and then re-assembled during the work. The car was also re-painted in a special midnight blue. The petrol-electric hybrid drive system in the car was left intact and Lexus says the car will drive in fully electric mode for most of the planned drive through Monaco during the wedding celebrations.

Lexus' image has been battered this week by engine and steering problems in a year of rolling quality concerns over its cars and those of Toyota.  In Australia, Toyota says problems with the Lexus V6 and V8 engines were not subject to a recall "but that may change next week". Customers in Japan have reported that the engine stalls and is hard to restart. Lexus says the problem is with the engine's valve springs. It affects about 1200 Lexus cars in Australia.  The second Lexus issue is an official recall over steering problems on two models, including its $244,000 LS600h hybrid flagship. Lexus reports that the there was a problem with the car's computer system that controls the steering. It says no accidents had been reported relating to the issue but on this issue alone it was recalling 11,500 cars globally and 37 in Australia.  Lexus says the problem centres on the computer-controlled, variable power steering unit. It says some owners reported that after manoeuvring at low speed with the steering wheel in full-lock position, the steering wheel remains in an off-centre position even though the front wheels are straight.  The company says that this phenomenon is resolved automatically in a few seconds and the driver may notice this correction as the steering wheel centre moves slowly by itself to the centre position. Toyota admitted the issue had been under internal investigation since March after recieving 10 customer complaints from Japanese owners.  It follows the announcement that some V6 and V8-engined models may have an engine problem that could lead to stalling and a dificulty in restarting. "Improperly functioning valve springs have been found in some Lexus engines and there is a small possibility that abnormal engine noise or unstable idling may occur," it said in a statement.  "In very rare instances, there is a chance that the engine may stop. There have been no reported accidents related to this issue." Models affected are the Lexus GS450h, GS460, LS460 and LS600h models that range in price from $127,000 to $244,000.

The electronic control units are needed to address a recall notice issued last week for 11,500 of the Lexus flagship sedans.  Less than 40 of those vehicles are in Australia, with only 15 of those sold and on the road.  The recall was issued due to a defect in the steering system that could leave the steering wheel off-centre by up to 90 degrees after it had been turned to full lock in manoeuvres such as a sharp corner or U-turn. “If the driver has fully turned the steering wheel to full lock and then very quickly attempts to turn it back to the centre position, the steering wheel may temporarily become off-centred before automatically returning to the centre position within 1-5 seconds,” Lexus says.

Speaking just prior to the Tokyo motor show, Lexus Australia boss John Roca says the self-restoring topcoat is extremely resistant to everyday surface scratches and can also heal them. The paint – which will be on the LS 600hl and also on the LS 460 – contains elements that give it more denseness and elasticity, and results in it rebonding when small scratches are inflicted. Roca says the paint will not be an optional extra.  “We don’t charge an additional cost for any paint, so I’m assuming this will be standard on the cars,” he says. "The cost will be rolled into the price of the car.  It will be interesting to see what it does to the price of the car, but it’s bound to be less than a respray bill.” Roca says that while the paint will be available only the LS 600hl and LS 460 for now, he expects it to spread across the range as models are updated.  “When we introduce something like this, it doesn’t take long for it to spread. Maybe about two years,” Roca says. And he agrees that if it proves popular with Lexus buyers, it won’t be long before other carmakers will be trying to offer something similar.

The right car and a bit of fear can do a great job of clearing a congested road, even in a city as crowded as Tokyo.There is an unwritten law about making space for big black or white limousines — usually a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a Lexus LS — when you see them pushing their way through traffic.If you see one of these cars blocking a driveway or parked on a corner, it's best to drive on by.That is what the locals do — because Mr Average really does not want to cross paths with whoever might be inside the luxury Lexus or blitzer Benz.It's the same for me. I like my life. One time, crawling along at 15km/h in heavy city traffic, I spot three black S-Class limos in my rear-view mirror and watch as they thread their way through the congestion.Their precision at maintaining single-file formation and their ability to block both lanes by straddling the centre white lines is as eye-popping as it is educational.Yet no one gets upset. No one honks a horn. No one thinks about calling the police.When members of Japanese criminal society yakuza are on the move, you let them go.But why do they choose the cars they do and what is their car culture?The best idea was to sit with someone from the yakuza and ask, but that is something a Japanese writer would never even consider.Why? Because Japanese think it's too direct or even rude to ask such a question.But a foreigner, even one with fluent Japanese after 20 years in the country, has more licence.There are still rules and you can plead ignorance, but you have to be aware that if you cross paths with this underworld society you had better know when you can ask questions and when to shut up and move on.After many weeks of tip-toeing around potential cross-cultural minefields and careful diplomacy to locate a possible candidate, one yakuza boss finally agreed because, as I understood it, he was intrigued with the foreign media.Fighting back the urge to ask him whether he'd seen Michael Douglas's yakuza movie Black Rain, or if he watched the TV series The Sopranos, we agreed to meet in a park in Tokyo.I could tell you the exact location, but then I'd have to kill you. Just kidding.We spoke about cars, brands, status and driving, and his candid replies were unexpected.These guys were not packing weapons, of course, because in Japan the yakuza don't normally carry guns.Even so, the extent of their politeness and concentration on my questions was a surprise.“So, why do you drive an S-Class Mercedes?” I ask.As expected, the boss talks about Mercedes' strong build quality, as well as the car's power and high status levels.“The S-Class has plenty of power, looks good on the road and has a lot of luxury inside. Nothing really comes close, except maybe a Lexus LS,” he said.After one obvious question and a straightforward answer, I push my luck a little.“So why do you use tinted windows?”Without any hint of irritation, he answers: “Because we like our privacy. It also pays when certain people (our rivals) cannot see inside our car.”I query: “But why choose left-hand drive?”He says: “They don't come in right-hand drive, so we settle for left.”That may have been the case 10 years ago in Japan, but now you can get an S-Class in right and left-hand drive.Still, these well-dressed gents will stay with left-hand drive because it commands more status — or generates more fear — and that is very effective at clearing a crowded road.Feeling comfortable with the interview, I ask how they practise for the tight formation driving I witnessed.“I'm not quite sure what you're talking about,” he said, and I realise I am pushing my luck and have used enough of his time.Bowing profusely, I thank the yakuza and humbly excuse myself.Japan is a country of extremes and that is reflected on the road.On the surface, people seem very polite and courteous. And most are.Even road rage is far less of a problem than in many Western countries.Japan is a land steeped in traditional and unwritten rules, and you have to know your place.If you're going to drive in Japan's mega-cities you need to be aware of an underworld organisation that lives a parallel existence to mainstream society.One day it might confront you, so knowing how to respond — or not — is one way to remain on the streets.As the yakuza boss says: “You have to know your place and show the right level of respect. Otherwise things can get out of hand, and quickly.”

To be launched here later this month, the car was chosen from a list of 28 nominated by journalists from 22 countries including Australia. The announcement was made at the New York International Auto Show. Jurors considered the LS 460 to be “classically luxurious, with modern execution, unquestioned quality and more than ample power”. A green alternative, the LS 600h hybrid will be released later this year. Cars are judged on a number of criteria including styling, quality, performance and safety. The top three contenders were the Lexus, Audi TT and the Mini. The TT won the design award, while Audi's RS4 won the performance car trophy and Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC won the green car award. First winner of the three-year-old award was the Audi A6 in 2005, followed last year by the BMW 3 Series.