By Staff Reporter

Lexus has updated its flagship LS luxury sedan with improved looks and higher levels of comfort. These come just before the next generation Mercedes-Benz debuts and will surely keep the LS competitive.

Looks

The untrained eye will struggle to notice the new looks with Lexus conceding that most effort has gone into improving “comfort, quiet and overall refinement to help balance a range of new dynamic improvements…” Upfront the LS features BladeScan AHS (Adaptive High-beam System) LED lights which were first introduced in the updated RX. Other changes include minor work on the bumper which integrates a chrome trim on its lower edge that wraps around to the sides, and a posh spindle grille mesh which has been changed to a dark metallic appearance. The chrome trim within the rear combination lamps has been switched to Piano Black.

Inside, the multimedia system features a new touch display and is compatible with SmartDeviceLink, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. In addition, controls on the steering wheel and center console have been uniformly colored black for improved visibility.

Technology

Lexus debuts Lexus Teammate in the LS which comes with a number of driver assistant systems including Advanced Park that provides parking assist through automatically controlling acceleration, braking, and gear changes. On the road, Lexus Teammate’s Advanced Drive performs peripheral recognition, estimates vehicle position, calculates vehicle lane and, position and adjusts speed, amongst other tasks. The system is software based and can be enhanced over time with software updates.

Enhanced comfort levels

Lexus says the focus in the updated LS was to improve comfort levels. This was achieved by introducing a newly developed Adaptive Variable Suspension solenoid which reduces damping force, with the vertical spring rate (stiffness) of the run-flat tires and the rigidity of the stabilizer bars providing optimized performance. Also, the orifice inside the engine mounts has been changed so as to alter damping characteristics, resulting in a reduction in vibrations transmitted to the vehicle’s cabin. That’s not all, even seat coverings feature deeper stitch points, and underlying seat pads feature low-resilience urethane. The result is vibration absorption and soft seating which contribute to even more enhanced comfort.

The engines remain unchanged. The LS goes on sale in japan at the end of 2020 and is expected to hit international markets next year.