Oh boy, that face really looks aggressive ...
At 4,890mm in length, the GS would be the longest car in-class.
Yeah, and it's so imposing that current Lexus owners could be scared away from it, should it be made in concept form as seen here. By the way, the LF-Gh concept is a design preview of the all-new GS executive saloon that will premiere in New York next week.
That aforementioned grille is what Lexus calls the shape of a spindle. But since this isn't the actual car for the showroom (unlike BMW's concept teasers), some design cues could be changed if customer reaction warrant for it.
The LED lights form part of Lexus's L-Finesse design philosophy and should make it to production (every luxury carmaker now boasts such tech). Expect the front and rear bumpers, side sills and 20-inch wheels to be toned down.
The remaining bits that haven't been formed yet for the fourth-generation GS are side-view windows and door handles.
- What about the interior?
No image of the cabin has been released. The only things Lexus has mentioned are a new analogue 3D clock inside and comfort for four people, although it isn't clear whether that means there will be a Mercedes-Benz CLS-style 2+2 seat layout.
The LF-Gh is quite a long car in length, measuring 4,890mm. That makes it the longest car in its class in which the GS traditionally competes with rear-drive rivals like the BMW 5-series, Jaguar XF and Mercedes-Benz E-class. However, the LF-Gh's wheelbase length of 2,850mm is 38mm shy of the 5-series.
- No problem. And the engines?
Again, Lexus only says the LF-Gh is powered by Lexus Synergy Drive. Today's GS450h comes with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol and two electric motors, so that makes it an obvious choice.
But what we've learned from sources that a smaller variation is in the pipeline, possibly using a 2.5-litre V6 combination which could be badged GS300h (or GS350h to comply with the GS450h).
This would serve Lexus as an alternative to the European competitors, that still adore diesel technology. Of course, conventional petrol engines may still be offered ranging from GS250 up to the eight-pot GS460.
- Nah, the GS350h sounds better ...
Yes, because it can attract the 10% excise tax for hybrids whose basic engine doesn't exceed 3,000cc. Today's GS300 already needs to be priced at over 5 million baht due to 50% maximum excise tax (aside the 80% import duty).
This should be great news for GS fans because if such an engine proves to be real, its price can fall at under 4 million baht to compete with the locally assembled 5-series and E-class.
Lastly, one source has told us that GS punters can expect to see the new saloon in Thai showrooms early next year after it debuts in market-ready form at either the year-ending Tokyo or Los Angeles motor shows.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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