With its avant-garde design, spacious interior, luxurious furnishings and forward-thinking technology, the new fifth-generation LS sets the benchmark for the luxury flagship class and once again amazes consumers. Continuing the “YET” design philosophy of previous generations of the Lexus LS 2022, Lexus has created the space and comfort expected of a three-door luxury sedan with the graceful lines of a four-door coupe; and has enhanced the lower, more streamlined profile of the LS with a minimalist design that integrates the B-pillar with the side windows to appeal to a younger luxury segment. The LS is a single design with a long wheelbase, which has been extended by 35mm to 3,125mm compared to the previous generation LS 600h L.
The LS is a reinterpretation of the Lexus family’s Spindle Grille spindle-type tank guard, and its elegant texture represents the LS’s position at the top of the Lexus hierarchy. After months of CAD development and hand-tuning, the Spindle Grille spindle tank guard features a grid design with thousands of surfaces, the surface texture of which can appear in a variety of ways in different light. With the Japanese philosophy of “Omotenashi”, the LS design team has pursued a new generation of luxury that “combines advanced technology and comfort” to create a cabin that welcomes all occupants with a high level of sophistication, achieving both driving pleasure and comfortable ride.
In order to create a new comfortable cabin that belongs to the flagship model, the LS places great importance on seat comfort. The newly designed 28-way adjustable dual front seats with integrated cooling, heating and ventilation and massage functions are a concrete realization of the top furniture design concept with large suspended armrests and a wrap-around seat back design. In terms of driving pleasure, the center console is designed with the driver in mind, integrating the various displays for information at the same height and concentrating all controls within the driver’s reach, so that the driver does not have to change his or her posture while driving. In addition to the 12.3-inch center display, the Lexus also features the world’s first large, full-color HUD multi-function head-up display, which displays a variety of driving information in front of the driver’s field of vision to enhance driving safety.
　　
The quality and refinement that Lexus employees are proud of is also perfectly reflected in every detail of the LS. From the ambient lighting in the cabin to the attention to all the details that can be touched or seen, the new LS demonstrates unique and sophisticated design and quality. In addition, new wood grain veneers developed by combining advanced technologies such as natural woodworking, Japanese precision sawing and laser engraving can be seen on the LS, including the Vortex wood grain veneer, herringbone wood grain veneer and aluminum wood art veneer. Compared with the straight stripes of the Gosho wood veneer, the interlocking patterns of the veneer can create bold color contrasts and give the veneer a more lively look.
The Lexus L design language is visible in the delicate and precise three-dimensional pleats, and the unique atmosphere is revealed in the daytime and nighttime ambient lighting of the car. The Kiriko cut glass trim is sculpted by hand by Lexus’s highly skilled Kiriko cut glass artisans, who capture the contrast between light and shadow through continuous experimentation to create a design that is beautiful from any angle. Through precise scanning technology, Lexus digitizes the thousands of folds of this design and then polishes and strengthens them by professional Japanese craftsmen. The delicate Kiriko cut trim may look fragile, but the glass-reinforced technology ensures that the design can be used in luxurious cabins.
　　
Drawing on the experience and technology gained from Formula 1 racing, Lexus has created a new, high power output and excellent consumption 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo engine for the LS, which represents Lexus’ new, sportier brand direction, with the power of a V8 engine without sacrificing fuel consumption, while keeping noise and vibration at bay. The long-stroke design and multi-point direct injection fuel system enhance the combustion efficiency of the twin-turbocharged engine, allowing the LS to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.0 seconds. At the same time, the driver can customize the power output response and the sound of the engine through different driving modes such as Normal/Sport/Sports+, adding to the sporty feeling of driving.
The LS is equipped with the 10-speed manual transmission, which was first used in the LC 500 flagship coupé. Even with the torque converter, the shift times are still comparable to those of a dual-clutch transmission, and the wide and dense gear ratio settings provide the best gears in all driving situations. The high torque of the twin-turbo engine is perfectly matched with the low gear ratios in the high gears, providing a quiet high-speed cruising performance, while the quick shift back provides the torque needed for instant acceleration without lag.
