2010 Lexus LS 600h, LS 600hL unveiled at Frankfurt
September 17, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Lexus has unveiled its full hybrid flagship, the LS 600h, at Frankfurt overnight with the car boasting a range of technological and styling improvements for the 2010 model year.
Redesigned seating, updated equipment levels, a new ECO driving mode and revised brakes see the LS 600h, and long wheelbase LS 600hL, achieve advances in both comfort and driving dynamics.
ECO mode aims to modify throttle action and the performance of the air-conditioning system to support fuel-efficient driving, in much the same way as the system featured in Toyota’s new Prius.
Repackaging of the full hybrid system’s battery into two sections of six and 14 modules has reduced its overall size and freed up more luggage space in the boot. Reducing the size of the rear air conditioning unit has increased boot capacity by approximately 35 litres.
The Hybrid Drive system has also been revised to meet strict new Euro V exhaust emissions standards, but with no change to the car’s performance: the combination of the 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine and 165kW electric motor produces a maximum 327kW and 520Nm of torque, giving 0-100km/h acceleration in 6.3 seconds. CO2 emissions are 219g/km and combined cycle fuel economy remains at 7.7 litres per 100km.
The LS 600h is newly equipped with larger, 380mm ventilated front disc brakes with six-piston callipers, rotors and pads developed jointly with specialist manufacturer Brembo. The pads are designed for quieter performance with less vibration and give fade-free high-speed stopping power.
Outside the revised model is distinguished visually by a new four-bar grille and front bumper with redesigned air intakes and foglamps. The headlamps have a new running light design and are finished in Lexus hybrid blue, giving the car a distinctive appearance over its conventionally powered siblings.
In profile, the car has a new one-piece rocker moulding and new door mirrors that incorporate twin LED turn signals and puddle lamps, with chrome highlights.
The cabin houses a revised instrument binnacle featuring a new, full colour TFT LCD display while a new instrument panel design features a three-ring analogue dial with a central speedometer, a tachometer and coolant temperature gauge to the left, and a fuel gauge and hybrid system indicator to the right. The display in the centre of the speedo can be customised to show vehicle information, turn-by-turn navigation instructions and hybrid system status.
The range of interior colour and trim combinations includes a new light grey semi-aniline leather upholstery. Both front seats are equipped with new, inflator operated active headrests. Activated by a signal from the airbag ECU in the event of a rear impact, the inflator slides a piston into the headrest, unlocking a mechanism that projects the headrest forwards and upwards, reducing the risk of whiplash injury.
The driver’s seat also has a new return/away function. Linked to a similar function that moves the steering wheel, this automatically slides the seat back by up to 50mm when the driver unbuckles the seatbelt and turns the engine off. The seat returns to its selected driving position once the car is started again. For the new model year the LS 600h is available with the Lexus Rear Seat Relaxation Pack for the first time in conjunction with a five-seat configuration.
In common with its sister Lexus models, the LS 600h is adopting a new hard disc drive (HDD) navigation system with the 40GB capacity. The 19-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound System fitted as standard in the LS 600h gives 7.1-channel surround sound on selected CDs and DVDs. It is now DAB ready (DAB audio will be available as a centre-fitted accessory) and provides USB and audio jack plug connection for fully controlled use of portable music players, and Bluetooth with an audio streaming function.
It also provides a new “sound library” function, using the navigation system’s HDD to transfer and store music files from CD up to 10GB capacity – the equivalent of about 2,000 songs.
The revised LS 600h features a new, automatic high beam system. A camera sensor in the rear view mirror detects oncoming traffic, street lamps and vehicles travelling ahead and automatically switches the headlamp high beam on and off according to driving conditions.
Pricing and local specification details will be revealed closer to the launch.
With Lexus UK
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looks too close to Camry styling. I thought they kept Toyota boring so that we can get great looking Lexus!
Yeah, definitly one for the ABC FM crowd style-wise.
yeah, white was a mistake for the photos, just look like a camry on steroids but at 7 times the price.
Should be wearing a Toyota badge. About time they started putting the TFT LCD instrument display into vehicles other than the Japan-only Crown.
looks like a really big white version of an Aurion… an expensive one at that if i may so so… still people will buy it cause it has perceived reliability…
And a 5.0l V8 that puts out 327 KW! Wow I didn’t realise it was that powerful. As well as a very impressive list of options. Looks wise its a handsome looking car in my opinion.
The V8 doesnt put out that mych power. Its the combined output of electric and petrol drivetrains.
you’re not far off the mark their Ethan, I can see a white Aurion from my office window and if you debadged this thing, you would swear it was the next gen Aurion.
I always thought the GS looked like an Aurion. Saw an Aurion parked in front of a GS the other day and looking from the side and the back, it’s almost the same car if you blink. And I daresay the Aurion had better looking tail lights.
As for the LS, it always looked like a chunky Camry to me. No doubt it’s a comfortable car and it’s intended target market love it, but Lexus needs to up their styling department. They’ve had 20+ years to get it right and still really hasn’t.
that grille shouldnt be that way… this is Lexus flagship Hybrid.
Should be gold plated with diamonds on it :-D
But I dont disagree with some that say it looks too much like Aurion on roids.
Lexus should of went a different colour and grille!!!
Are they exact copies of the Kluger tailights on the LS?? I dont know if I like rear amber indicator lenses on a luxury car…
Rather conservative looking car, it does have a brilliant interior though, sat in one when it was first launched, really is a nice place to be.
Wonder how will the launch of 7series hybrid affect this, the 7series hybrid is faster and more powerful (less economical i think) and it is a BMW. Still, i don’t see the point of a 2 tonne luxury limo hybrid, a 730d makes a lot more sense from the performance, economy and price point of view.
The reason this car is exclusive is because of the equipment levels and the silence. I got to test one at the Sydney Motor show last year and everything was superb. The only thing that i didnt like was that i couldnt here that V8!!!
True, but people who buy this kind of vehicle enjoy the silence and luxury that it comes with. If you want to ‘here’ the V8 buy an IS F.
An S Class Merc has far more class. Anti Spam word AMG, LOL.
What else needs to be said.
I was in Florida a few months ago and the LS460 pretty much equals, if not outnumbers, the S-Class. Lexus sell some 33,000 of them per year in the US (compared to about 200 a year here!). Of course, part of the reason is that the LS460 sells for $65,000 in the US market while the S550 is about $85,000. Simply put, the LS460 is better value.
Lexus absolutely *dominate* the US market. The ES350 is the best selling luxury car in the US, period. You see hundreds of them, everywhere. The RX is the best selling luxury SUV. The only segment Lexus don’t dominate is the mid-size luxury segment, where the Merc E-Class is the preferred choice, even in the US.
Really shows that US buyers have absolutely no taste or idea about cars. If IS is the best selling car, then fair enough, but ES350? That is by far the worst Lexus in the lineup, it really is just a Camry underneath with Lexus stylings and badges. The chassis, suspension and drive train all came straight from the Camry.
Actually, may be the new HS250 will share the accolade of being the worst Lexus in the line up, US reports i’ve read say it has cheaply built interior with a dull chassis and engine. I’ve taken liking to Lexus such as IS, GS, LS which has RWD and is built on a (almost) unique platform not shared with Toyota (sold globally, i know GS is similar to crown in japan). But i can’t stand cars like HS and ES which shares platform with normal Toyotas like Avensis and Camry, it is the same reason i’ve never liked Audi A3 and TT as i can’t help but think ‘golf’ whenever i see one.
I like the camry, but if I were to pay a fortune for a car I would need it to look different from an ordinary car. Indeed wasn’t the idea of Lexus to differentiate itself from the ordinary Toyotas ?
Trust me, the LS460 may look like a little like a Toyota in photos, but in real life you cannot mistake the two. The LS460 is MUCH larger than a Camry/Aurion (it weighs some 400kg more), and as a result it has a greater presence on the road. When you see that big chrome grille in traffic you know it’s an expensive car. From the back, it might be a little harder to tell, though (for the average Joe). But, if anyone still confuses it with a Toyota, you can put their worries to rest by beating just about any other car at the stop lights (the 4.6L V8 puts out 285 kW and does 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds), so you will blow just about anything away bar the top end V8 Holdens/Fords/Mercs, and even then, you can easily equal them.
I actualy quite like the look of it, I mean compared to the very bland previous generations of LSs. I also like the IS, but not the GS’s front that much, should only have single headlights, not double. I think some people have got a bit of a stigma towards Lexus for not being sporty enough, the fact of the matter is though that very few people will be wantig to drive the wheels of this big expensive thing!