As more and more cars become electrified in part or in full, it’s easy to forget how Toyota brought hybrids to the mainstream market and thus know a thing or two about electrification. Akio Toyoda, the moving force behind Toyota’s renaissance himself once said that while other brands may have the recipe for a better car for the future, it is Toyota, and Lexus for that matter, which have the chefs and cooks that can properly prepare the recipe to truly build a sustainable and reliable electrified vehicle of the future.
Being the number one car company in the world, it’s hard to argue with the Toyota way.
The Lexus LS is the group’s pinnacle of luxury and performance. It is filled with the Japanese brand’s obsessive engineering perfected through years of experience and constant refinement in both luxury, efficiency and today, hybrid technology to create better way forward, enveloped in absolute luxury. Indeed, the very name LS itself stands for Luxury Sedan or Luxury Saloon, depending on which market you ask.
The fifth generation Lexus LS rests on Toyota’s TNGA GA-L platform first seen in the Lexus LC grand tourer. It’s slightly lower and longer than its predecessor, giving it a more stylish silhouette. The LC was refreshed in 2020 for the 2021 model year, and Lexus’ innovative Lexus Safety System Plus 2.0 became standard on all LS models worldwide.
If rivals Audi seem to deliver the most tech, BMW the most driver-focused, and Mercedes-Benz the stateliest, then the LS is the most sculptural of the lot. Both the interior and exterior are simply loaded with details and looking at it in a variety of angles gets you mesmerized.
But the LS offers real depth, its prowess beyond skin-deep beauty. Power comes from Lexus’ multi-stage hybrid system utilizing a 3.5 liter naturally aspirated V6 paired with dual synchronous electric motors deliver a combined system output of just under 300hp and 350 Newton-Meters of torque. A 310 volt lithium-ion battery provides charge for the electronics, offering more capacity and range versus the previous model. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via an innovative 10-speed automatic transmission tuned specifically to the multi-stage hybrid system. It feels a whole lot more powerful when you floor the throttle, making you think there’s a great big V8 underneath that long hood with an easy 400++ horses and 600+ NM of torque. But as with any hybrid, the challenge is eking out as much fuel efficiency as you can achieve. Despite offering the latest in hybrid drivetrain technology, our northern drive up to Clark and Subic delivered a best of 16km/liter cruising at 95-105km/h on NLEX and SCTEX. It is after all, still a big and heavy car.
Inside, rich tan leather quilted in a similar fashion to Lexus’ spindle grille design wraps your backside, with Lexus focusing on soft-touch interiors. An 8-inch TFT LCD display houses Lexus’ infotainment system, along with a digital instrument cluster. It took a while for me to get used to the multimedia system’s interface with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth Telephony, but the music from the 23-speaker surround sound Mark Levinson system will lift your mood up. You also get 28-way front seat adjustment, coupled with 22-way rear seat adjustment. In short, the seats feel you up in places you’ve never felt before in your life. With reach and rake adjustable steering, it’s almost impossible not to find a comfortable driving position for a wide array of drivers. Quad-zone climate control means each of the passengers can soak up ultimate luxury served the Lexus way.
‘Speak softly, but carry a big stick’ adage applies perfectly to the LS. It’s got the long graceful legs for a perfectly capable long-distance grand-tourer, but surprisingly fits through many narrow spaces through Angeles City and San Fernando where the missus wanted to try out the local cafes and visit some furniture stores she saw on social media. For such a huge luxury limousine, the LS is surprisingly a willing partner and contrary to perception due to its size and intended use and market. It acquits itself dynamically very well on fast, flowing B-roads and just gobbles up the highway miles with aplomb.
On the move, the LS is serene, silent and very cosseting as to be expected, drawing the respect and admiration it deserves from onlookers. The gorgeous 19-inch wheels are wrapped in 245/50R19 Bridgestone Turanza all-season touring tires which provide soft and supple damping from high-frequency bumps. Suspension offers a firm but compliant ride as well as my seven-hour stint behind left me relaxed and refreshed, despite the traffic coming back coupled with severe rain that greatly affected speed and visibility.
Of course it is a very safe car, but you knew that already even before you get on board as the standard safety equipment list has everything imaginable from adaptive cruise control, lane tracing and lane keeping assist, rear-cross traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, pre-collision system, ABS-EBD brakes, traction/stability control and a whopping 12 airbags. The LS also scores 5 stars in the NCAP crash test ratings so no worries there.
Absolute luxury, refinement and comfort in a stylish package with a design that would suit a museum of modern art, packed with technology for the future, and an enjoyable driving experience at that.
The LS500h, I can honestly say, is the pinnacle of motoring.
