After 10 years since Lexus Malaysia invigorated its flagship line up, this long awaited fifth generation LS reinvents the brand’s take on luxury and proves to be a significant step up from its predecessor in terms of platform and powertrain as well as styling and craftsmanship.
The new LS also boasts a finesse design language that pays tribute to the brand’s intricate Japanese craftsmanship. From the outside, Lexus’ new sedan sports a “new silhouette”, which has the appearance and appeal of a four-door coupe but maintains the roominess of a traditional 3 Box design. Its interior is meticulously crafted to feature Kiriko cut glass and a hand pleated door trim – both of which transform according to lighting conditions, creating a one of a kind space that epitomises luxury and elegance.
As far as safety is concerned, the luxury sedan is equipped with the Lexus Safety System – featuring the Pre Collision System that helps to warn the driver on the possibility of a collision so they may perform an invasive manoeuvre; and the advanced Lane Departure Alert that is capable of detecting boundaries through improved recognition capability to offer continued performance on roads.
Proudly designed and manufactured at the brand’s Tahara plant, the 2018 Lexus LS is already a big hit in Japan with pre-orders for the new flagship sedan reaching 9,500 units, or nearly 1,600% higher than the sales goal of 600 units a month.
The 2018 Lexus LS comes with a comprehensive warranty of five (5) years covering unlimited mileage. Complete aftersales support is available at seven (7) locations around Malaysia where professional technicians with extensive training by Lexus are ready to serve.
Newly developed 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine and other new technologies for emotional yet elegant driving. Along with the new LS inheriting the LS’s DNA for quietness and comfort, an emotional driving experience was pursued through efforts to improve steering responsiveness and steering stability, to achieve a comfortable driving operation rhythm and to produce a comfortable acceleration sound. Specifically, in addition to using the GA-L platform, which forms the foundation of Lexus’ front-engine, rear-wheel-drive lineup, a newly developed 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine and 3.5-liter V6 Multi-stage Hybrid System, both with high-level output and environmental performance, were selected as powertrains suitable for a flagship sedan.
3.5-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine
– Lexus’ first 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine is exceptionally quiet yet provides exhilarating acceleration based on its linear torque characteristics. Rapid combustion has been achieved by such measures as optimizing the bore-and-stroke ratio, improving air intake and strengthening airflow within the engine’s combustion chambers. And world-class thermal efficiency, made possible by combining the engine with high-efficiency twin turbochargers, results in world-class thermal efficiency for high output and excellent fuel efficiency.
– The Direct Shift-10AT automatic transmission provides world-class rhythmical gear changes due to its gear-changing speed and performance that responds directly to accelerator pedal operation, made possible by actively selecting the optimal gear by reading driver intention based on driver operation.
3.5-liter V6 Multi-stage Hybrid System
– The Multi-stage Hybrid System is a breakthrough technology that combines stepped gears and the Lexus hybrid system newly developed for the LC 500h luxury coupe. It provides strong driving force from low speeds for powerful performance by controlling the output of both the high-revolution 3.5-liter V6 engine and the electric drive motor. Additionally, by selecting an operating point for high system efficiency from the low-speed range to the high-speed range and, thus, expanding the range of EV driving, the system achieves both an emotional driving experience and highly fuel-efficient and pleasant cruising.
– Adjustments in engine revolutions faithfully in line with the intentions of the driver and highly responsive motor assist are made possible by 10-gear-change control regardless of the driving situation, creating a direct acceleration sensation perfectly linked to pedal operation. The result is a new hybrid system in which engine revolutions match the feeling of acceleration for stress-free and smooth driving performance.
The 2018 Lexus LS will be fully imported from Japan and will be offered in three variants:
The 2018 Lexus LS | Peninsular Malaysia | Sabah | Sarawak |
LS Luxury | RM799,000 | RM800,166.70 | RM800,166.70 |
LS Executive | RM999,000 | RM1,000,166.70 | RM1,000,166.70 |
LS Executive (Hybrid) | RM1,459,000 | RM1,460,132.00 | RM1,460,132.00 |
*The prices listed above are On the Road price including GST without insurance.