2018 Lexus LS500: price, specs, release date
January 10, 2017 by
Lexus’ new flagship – the LS500 – gets edgy design and a twin-turbo V6 in place of the outgoing model’s V8
- 2018 Lexus LS500 gets a sporty makeover and twin-turbo V6
- Resets the luxury benchmark?
- Rival to the Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7-Series
- Debuted at the Detroit Motor Show
The Lexus LS500 is the latest technological tour de force from the Japanese luxury marque tasked with scalping the best the Germany’s premium brands have to offer – namely the BMW 7 Series and, of course, the Mercedes S-Class.
But how do you prise captains of industry from their trusty luxo barges? Well, you could make your car stand out and – with its edgy design – the LS500 certainly does that in what is a traditionally conservative class. It gets the company’s now trademark spindle grille, sharp-angled headlights, and flowing body – mimicking the well-received Lexus LC 2+2 coupe that, believe it or not, shares the LS500’s platform.
2018 Lexus LS500 Interior
While the big saloon shares the LC’s platform, it’s ten inches longer which, of course, allows it to offer palatial levels of space and more rear legroom than any LS that has come before it.
This being a Lexus, standard equipment levels are strong and include 28-way electrically adjustable front seats that heat, cool and massage your back; a Mark Levison 3D sound system and a 12.3-inch display that does away with the old car’s awful joystick control in favour of an altogether-more-usable touchscreen.
This tech is then buried in luxurious materials including leather and laser-cut Shimamoku wood before being bathed in ambient lighting apparently inspired by Japanese lanterns.
2018 Lexus LS500 Engines and Driving
Meanwhile, Active Noise Control keeps the cabin as serene as possible despite the all-new 409hp twin turbo v6’s ability to launch the rear-wheel-drive LS from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds. All models feed power through a ten-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive is an option for the first time.
2018 Lexus LS500 Release date
The LS500 will go on sale by 2018 – we’ll bring you our definitive verdict on Lexus’ new range flagship in the coming months.