Lexus LS 600H - Just close your eyes for a moment and let your mind wander into the showrooms of the prestige motorcars. By-pass the high performance Ferrari’s etc and home into the luxury end of the market. You pass Mercedes, Aston Martin, Bentleys perhaps even BMW's and then you see the Lexus showroom. At first you may do a double take, Lexus up there in alongside the prestige segment you may query, but take another look at their latest offering, the LS 600h that quite frankly will knock a few dents in other prestige manufacturers egos with this new flagship model
Drawing on thier previous strength of driving refinement, interior luxury, safety and performance, Lexus have added another sting to thier bow in the fact that this is the worlds first full-time-all-wheel drive full hybrid V8 power train that will certainly pull on even the most die hard motorist’s conscious in terms of being environmentally friendly therefore a wannabe purchase.
The rather unassuming exterior shows no signs to would be onlookers of what this car is really all about. In fact during the launch of the LS 600h, in Berlin my co-driver and myself often mistook other cars for the Lexus but take her best side, that of profile and this car accentuates pure unadulterated style that Lexus cars are now being associated with.
Inside is luxury personified with every possibly ‘gadget’ beautifully placed not just for driver comfort but also passenger and rear occupants. Two version will be on offer to the UK market on October 1st this year, the LS 600h and LS 600h L that is the long wheel base version whereby all the extra room a long base gains is dedicated to the extra legroom for the rear seat passengers. There is another added attraction to the long base version and that is in the optional, and only option, of the Rear Seat Relaxation Pack that is found on the left hand rear seat that - take a deep breath and imagine, has an electric recline function, an electrically adjustable ottoman foot and thigh rest and an adjustable massage function that can replicate techniques from shiatsu to acupressure with varying degrees of intensity and vibration. So as I rather reluctantly let my co-driver take over his share of the driving, I ensconced myself into the rear of the car and there I stayed for the rest of the duration. The only problem I can foresee with this is the argument - should you wish to go down the family car road here - over who sits where and the answer is simply, mummy when she is not driving.
Except she will be driving as this is just the beginning. The 10 - way electrically adjustable with memory settings front seats are not just heated, they can be air conditioned if required, as can the rear seats. Keeping her cool is an electronic dual zone climate control with separate driver and passenger control while she listens to her favourite music via the Mark Levinson 19 speaker hi-fi with 6 disc interchanger along with Bluetooth connectivity that in fact will keep mummy driving all day while the sat nav keeps her on track. The electric multi adjustable steering wheel has remotes controls for the audio, phone and voice control, so she can phone home safely advising everyone she will be late again! Shopping is a breeze thanks to a powered boot release - oh and the park assist. All the windows are electrically operated as you would expect with the rear and side windows having electric sun blinds, the door mirrors are again electrically operated, heated and fold in when locked which is just as well as the LS 600h is rather a wide car.
If perchance the children happened to be involved, they would be in seventh heaven with the DVD roof mounted player - does hinders the drivers rear visibility a tad, their own controls for the radio/CD and to stop tempers flaring up, their own air conditioning with their own controls. In fact they will be so self-sufficient they could effectively move in and stash their secret sweet supply in their rear-cooled box. At the heart of the Lexus LS 600h is a very clever bit of engineering. The full hybrid V8 power train has been designed for power, smoothness, very quite running without inflicting on performance compared to its rival V12 petrol. O-62 takes just 6.3 seconds yet fuel consumption is 30.4mpg on a combined cycle with CO2 emissions right down at 219g/km. The LS 600h has an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission with a choice of three power settings: Hybrid for the best balance of power and traction, Power for quick response acceleration and Snow for better traction in slippery conditions. They are driver operated via a Mode Select switch on the center console.
But how does the Hybrid system actually work. Well I shall enlighten you courtesy of the Lexus. Over a course of any journey. Lexus Hybrid Drive operates in several different modes to maximize efficiency. At start -up to low mid-range speeds, the vehicle runs on the electric motors alone eradicating both engine noise and carbon dioxide emissions. In normal driving conditions, the V8 engine is the main power source including power to the generator, which in turn charges up the high voltage battery. This power allocation is consistently monitored and adjusted between the engine and the electric motor to maximise efficiently. But when full acceleration is required, the engine and electric motor again work in tandem with extra power supplied by the battery to boost acceleration. During deceleration the engine switches off and the electric motor acts as a second generator to initiate regenerative braking, recovering energy that would normally be lost as heat, as electrical energy for storage in the battery. OK are you enlightened? Good.
Ensuring the Lexus LS 600h runs as smooth as silk is the Adaptive Variable Suspension and again, the driver can choose three modes, Normal, Comfort and Sport and whatever selected, the AVS very cleverly automatically adjusts the suspension performance at all four wheel independently. The Electric Power Steering gives excellent driver feedback that in my mind, always makes me feel reassured that I have control over the car, unlike those rudey children in the back!
Safety wise, where do I start? ‘At the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start’ I hear you answer, the trouble is where so I stop as the list of safety features appears to be endless. The most important development on the Lexus LS600h is the Advanced Pre-Crash Safety System that brings together features like Obstacle Detection System, in case you don’t see the brick wall in front of you, Emergency Steering Assist, in case you forget to steer out of dangers way, Driver Monitoring System, that recognises if you are looking away when a hazard is detected and gives you an audible buzzing noise to bring you back down to earth along with a brief application of the brakes. Finally Rear Pre Crash Safety system will detect a rear collision, and move the front headrests to cushion your heads thus reducing whiplash. This is quite an incredible system but I do wonder is too much safety breed’s driver complacency.
Other active safety features include ABS, EBD, Brake Assist System, Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control. While passive safety’s in the form of driver and passenger airbags, knee bags, front and rear side airbags pus full length curtain airbags, Park Assist to help with those ever decreasing parking bays, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Adaptive Front lights - that are a great asset when driving at night.
I feel I have gone on long enough now, so the question you all want to ask is 'How much?’ Well prices have just been released and start at £81,400 for the LS 600h, jumping to £83,645 for the long wheel base that is a must if ferrying rear passenger on a regular basis but why not round it up to £88,000 for the long base with the rear relaxation package. You will need it after writing out that cheque.
FemaleFirst - Jackie Violet