Lexus Drops the LC 500's Hybrid System Into the LS 500, Adds an 'h

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Lexus’ next-generation LS has already thrown design heritage out the window and kicked its traditional V8 to the curb, so why not add more totally new hardware?

For 2018, the brand’s redesigned flagship sedan will again offer a hybrid variant, but that last version is yesterday’s news. Lexus didn’t need to look far to find a replacement.

Two weeks ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut, Lexus has dished details on the fuel-sipping version of its redesigned roadliner. Though it may not come as a surprise, the automaker has confirmed that the Multi Stage Hybrid System found in the upcoming LC 500h coupe will gain a new application in the LS.

There’s no word that any changes have been made to the system, so it looks like a direct carryover. (Much like the platform both vehicles share.)

With a 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 as its starting point, the system piles on the tech. Two motor-generators, each powering a front wheel, are fed by a battery pack above the rear axle, adding 44 kW of gas-free puissance that brings total system output to 354 hp. To put the power down, the LC 500h’s odd hybrid transmission joins its transplanted powertrain. The unit combines a continuously variable transmission and a four-speed planetary gearbox to mimic the feel of a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic.

Lexus promises “a linear, direct and continuous acceleration feel,” something no luxury flagship can afford to do without.

All-electric driving can be accomplished up to speeds of 87 miles per hour, the automaker claims. That’s in line with its statements on the LC 500h. Range, with the gas burner out of commission, remains to be seen, as does the LS 500h’s fuel economy figures and acceleration. Lexus pegs the new LS’s platform mate at 4.7 seconds to 60 mph, with combined fuel economy of 30 mpg and a highway figure of 35 mpg. Expect the LS to pack on several luxurious pounds over its coupe companion, so those figures could take a minor haircut.

The automaker, which has seen LS sales fall along with that of traditional full-size luxury cars, clearly hopes this powertrain will make it a standout in its segment. In the U.S., the model will face stiff competition, especially from Cadillac’s plug-in CT6.

[Image: © 2017 Mark Stevenson/The Truth About Cars; Lexus]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Stuki Stuki on Feb 22, 2017

    Wow! Wow! Wow! And perhaps, Why? Certainly impressive that can all be executed to Flagship Lexus levels of refinement. But it does seem, at least a bit, like Elon Musk deciding to travel from San Francisco to Johannesburg. By way of Mars.

  • DeadWeight DeadWeight on Feb 22, 2017

    They are recalling all of the new Lexus LS' worldwide to replace the entire front fascia. At least 212 persons (and potentially many more) have suffered heart attacks, with some fatalities resulting, when people have gone into their garages and turned on the lights.

  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
  • Corey Lewis Think how dated this 80s design was by 1995!
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