The unveiling of the new 2010 Lexus LS brings new excitement to the luxury sedan segment. This graceful and capable contender continues to amaze and delight with outstanding technology, performance and sumptuous comfort.
In terms of its overall visual package, the new LS has remained largely true to the form it has staked out over the last few years of production. The sedan’s graceful proportions disguise its size, giving it a certain dignity when parked and a definite precision when in motion, and now new details bring forth unexpected visual pleasures. Lexus designers have gone over the large sedan’s features with a fine knife, paring down the edges to help the LS assume a more finely honed appearance, one that takes the company’s L-finesse design philosophy to an entirely new level. The front bumper is entirely new, and the vehicle’s fascia has been enhanced with a revised grille and the addition of streamlined headlights. In addition, revisions have been made to the taillamps, license plate surround and exhaust diffusers. Turn signals have also been added to the sedan’s side view mirror housings, and new wheels round out the exterior upgrades across the entire line.
Lexus also offers a new personalization option that allows owners greater liberties when configuring the interior of their 2010 LS. Known as Lexus Personalized Settings, the concept aims to increase the aura of exclusivity associated with this full-size sedan. The interior itself has been enhanced, providing a new palette for customization that is sure to provide many tactile delights for fortunate buyers. One example is the Comfort Package that adds heated and cooled front seats, headlamp washers, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, Intuitive Park Assist and more.
Of course, the LS’s 380-hp 4.6-liter V8 engine is still included as standard equipment along with 367 lb/ft of torque through a unique eight-speed automatic transmission. In all-wheel drive models, this powertrain is tuned to preserve optimum driving dynamics. Those craving an extra sporting touch will be pleased with the new for 2010 Sport Package (available on the LS 460 RWD model), which, in addition to front sport seats and sleek interior elements, features 19-inch, split 10-spoke wheels, an aerodynamically inspired body kit, more aggressive grille, Brembo brakes, custom stabilizer bar and absorber, sport-tuned suspension and paddleshifters for the automatic transmission. An available Appearance Package (optional on all LS models) integrates similar exterior enhancements and adds 19-inch five-spoke wheels for RWD models.
The 2010 Lexus LS 600h L Hybrid benefits from an upgraded battery pack when compared to the previous edition. Not only does this pack store even more electricity than the one it replaces – extending the vehicle’s range – it is also lighter. Given that the 600h L can now be driven entirely on battery power for up to half a mile at 25 mph, this is an important milestone for this class-leading hybrid luxury car. Two separate electric motors combine with a 5.0-liter V8 to offer 438 hp and acceleration that is equivalent to many much larger gasoline engines found in other vehicles in this class. Zero-to-60 mph is achieved in a scant 5.5 seconds while still pulling an amazing 20 mpg in stop and go driving. This is on top of emissions reductions that have the sedan producing 70 percent fewer pollutants than even the most environmentally friendly full-size premium cars. All-wheel drive, standard equipment on the hybrid model, gives the LS 600h L even more real-world practicality. A continuously variable, electronically controlled automatic transmission rounds out the vehicle’s technological tour-de-force with this particular gearbox including a “Snow” mode that makes it easier to deal with the white stuff when it falls in significant quantities.
It’s not easy to constantly strive to build upon what many in the automotive industry already consider to be perfect, but the engineers and designers at Lexus have made sure that the 2010 Lexus LS comes across as a living, breathing and evolving piece of vehicular art.
