Fourth-gen executive saloon promises more visual zest than tech feast
- Hey, what happened to those E-class lights?
You mean those four separate lamps up front? They're gone, dude. Lexus now wants its all-new GS executive saloon to look distinctive by giving it the bold front grille and sleek headlight design scheme first seen in the LF-Gh concept car that preceded it.
That spindle-shaped front grille was first used in the CT compact hatchback, while the gimmick of having the tailpipes fit flush against the rear bumper came from the LS flagship saloon.
The fascia focuses on clarity.
- I thought the GS was going to be a 2+2?
You've been probably surfing the 'net too much, my friend. Yeah, there were rumours that Lexus would give its fourth-gen GS a 2+2 layout in the mould of the niche-breaking Mercedes-Benz CLS.
But by tradition, the GS is a direct competitor for the BMW 5-series, Jaguar XF, as well as the Mercedes E-class, hence the conventional rear bench for three people.
Lexus freely admits that its customers want more space and comfort, so it has enhanced both of these aspects in the GS. Boot space is said to grow by 25%. However, it must be noted that the wheelbase length of 2,850mm is still some 100mm shorter than the class-leading 5-series.
As for the rest of the cabin, Lexus has seemingly tried its best to make the fascia look as opulent as possible yet easy to use with good clarity. That in-dash, split-view, 12.3-inch monitor is for both the driver and front passenger to keep with whatever digital info they wish to have.
And in Lexus fashion, the GS is said to have the most number of airbags: 10, two of which are dedicated to the front occupants' knees.
Seats are claimed to be cushier.
- What about the engine?
The GS was first introduced over the weekend in California with the 3.5-litre V6 engine pumping out an improved 306hp, good for a 0-100kph run in just under 6sec.
Unfortunately, the GS350 only gets a six-speed automatic transmission (same number of forward ratios but with quicker shifting, says Lexus); the Merc E350 and BMW 535i/Jaguar XF 3.0 have a seven- and eight-speed autos respectively.
- Is the GS still a rear-driver?
Oh yes, if that really mattered to potential buyers. And to add more sophistication to the GS350, there's the so-called Lexus Drive Mode with three different settings for the driving characteristics: Eco, Sport S and Sport S+.
There's also an all-wheel-drive (primarily for snowy countries like Russia and Canada) option that vary the torque between the front and rear wheels from 50:50 to 30:70.
And since you might wish to know, Lexus says the GS sits on a new platform with some suspension components made from aluminium to benefit handling and ride comfort.
- Thanks. What about the GS250?
Lexus hasn't mentioned that yet, but it is now common knowledge that certain markets, such as Europe and Asia (including Thailand) will get the GS250 running the 2.5-litre V6 and six-speed drivetrain of the IS250's.
The GS250 will come in the 4 million baht price range when it goes on sale at year-end, although it won't be a tour de force because the Europeans (523i and E250) still have fancier gearboxes (E-class will also be updated in Thailand at that time).
Tailpipes flushed into the bumper.
- And hybrid?
Lexus announced the GS350 will be followed by a hybrid and F Sport variants but hasn't been specific about the details.
A petrol 3.5-litre V6, electric motor and CVT auto combination was available in the old GS450h, so that's possible. However, it would be interesting to see whether Lexus will downsize its hybrid-powered GS.
Not only would it provide Lexus with an alternative to European diesels, but a sub-3.0-litre engine would give the Lexus the chance to attract the 10% excise tax given on hybrids with motors less than 3,000cc.
THE BLOODLINE
S140 : 1991-1996
The first-gen GS was designed with the help of Giugiaro and was notable for its twin-turbo inline-six motor known as 2JZ-GTE, once a highly popular engine series in Thailand's used-parts haven, Chiang Kong.
S160 : 1997-2005
Like its predecessor, Toyota still badged Lexus's rear-drive saloon as Aristo, which started to make inroads into Thailand via independent importers. Bigger V8s came in the S160.
S190 : 2005-2011
The Thai Lexus office finally started official imports of the GS (no more Aristo) which came with a new V6. A petrol-electric hybrid in the guise of the GS450h never made it to Thai showrooms.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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