Get beyond the marketing buzzwords and the Lexus GS 450h is a true contender in the luxury sector, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring editor.
THIS IS as much an apology as a car review. While it must by its very nature incorporate opinions on the car itself, we wish to take some time to admit our failings in the past. No, not all our failings - that would take far too many pages - but our previous cynical eye cast upon Lexus styling.
The problem we had was a rather shortsighted view of what Lexus referred to as L-Finesse. To those who haven't heard, that's the tagline for the recent familial design of the Lexus range.
When we were first briefed on the firm's new design "language", we were told the look combined "seamless anticipation", "incisive simplicity" and "intriguing elegance".
Seamless anticipation? What has that got to do with the price of petrol or the line of a pencil we wondered? Seamless simplicity: now that's something that would have been warmly welcomed. Sadly for the Japanese, bamboozling us with marketing buzzwords was not the best way to get the message across.
So instead of grasping their exciting new design, we reverted to the routine approach of comparing the look of these cars with their rivals. Unfortunately for Lexus, their cars did bear striking similarities to German counterparts. Playground cries of "copycat" fell on the brand.
Finally, after cleansing ourselves of the marketing speak, we have started to look at the Lexus car fleet in a neutral light. And they don't look half bad.
In fact, as they have become part of the motoring traffic pool they really are distinctive. It seems, in spite of the muddled media messages, the firm has got the design just right.
For us, it only really started to strike home when a neighbour started driving his new LS. From 400 metres down the road you can spot the distinctive lines of the Lexus.
The GS has a similar stance and it's definitive enough to pit it right up there with the best looker in its class. The GS might not have quite the same jaw dropping good looks as the Jaguar XF, but it's not far off it.
The GS has now received the meekest of makeovers, noticeable only to the sort of motoring anorak who probably couldn't afford to own one.
For the record, there's a new front grille with a new chrome surround, revised front and rear bumpers, door mirrors with integrated indicators, re-designed door-handles, new alloy wheels and new exterior colours.
Elsewhere, a rear parking camera is standard, a new steering wheel and gearshift gate design and other visual tweaks.
Along with the reversing camera, Lexus had added adaptive variable suspension (AVS) to its electronic gizmos which varies the damping force of the shock absorbers, relating to the type of driving and the road surface. This gives you three optional modes for the suspension: comfort, normal and sport. Given this is a luxury family saloon rather than a rally car, it will come as no surprise to learn that there's not an amazing amount of difference between any of these.
The real changes, however, are to the standard specification levels. These have been tweaked - particularly on the hybrid model - to make the car more affordable for Irish buyers once the recently announced tax changes are introduced. The problem for hybrids - and biofuel cars - is that from July 1st they will no longer benefit from a 50 per cent rebate on the Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT). That saving at present is €11,994 according to Lexus Ireland. Instead these cars will qualify for a €2,500 rebate.
In spite of the removal of the hefty rebate, Lexus claims it can offer the revised version of the car at a lower price than before. While it won't comment on the impact this will have on its profit margins per car, Lexus Ireland claims that the new price is reached courtesy of a reduction in specification, with features such as ventilated front seats and the wood/leather steering wheel no longer standard.
The fact that they can make back a €9,500 net differential by changing specification levels raises questions about the previous pricing of the car, but somehow they've done it.
So to the car itself, and its strongest feature is its performance. Because the electric motor works in tandem with the petrol engine, the acceleration and torque is ferocious - 0-100km/h takes just 5.9 seconds.
Those figures will impress, but it's on the road that this car really sparkles. Not only will it hit 100km/h faster than a VW Golf R32, but it's the mid-range acceleration that's mind-boggling. When you really need the power for overtaking, it's on tap in a flash. This car has an official time from 80km/h to 120km/h of 4.7 seconds. That wipes the floor of its competitors and is faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera S. It's only 0.7 seconds off the Ferrari F430 time.
All this sports car performance does come at a price: it has a sports car boot to match. To incorporate the battery power for the motors, space has to be sacrificed behind the rear seats.
A fully fledged luxury saloon with a boot of 250 litres is laughable. We struggled to get a full-size suitcase in the boot and some of the weekly shop ended up in the back seats. It's half the size of the standard boot on competitors.
So to its green credentials. The GS 450h claims an official fuel consumption of 7.9 L/100km (35.8mpg), but we were never able to get an average lower than 9.3 L/100km (30.4mpg) over a mix of city and motorway driving. That only rivals a good diesel engine, while the 185g/km of emissions means you still pay €600 in road tax.
The good news is that after another week behind the wheel of the GS we've grown increasingly fond of it. The power mix is potent and the transmission is silky smooth. The ride quality is not as supple as we would have liked on some roads and the handling still seems tuned for American tastes, rather than the more direct steering admired by Europeans. There is a new Dynamic Pack available on the GS450h and standard on the GS460. Lexus claims it will further enhance the driving dynamics for those who really want to fling a car this size through bends. However, the BMW still has some lead on this in driving terms.
All this means that for our money there are now three cars to consider if you have €70,000-plus to spend. It comes down to the Jaguar XF, BMW 5-Series and this Lexus GS. And despite our fondness for the 5-Series, it's not an easy call. The Jaguar looks stunning and the Lexus has similar appeal.Both are nicely laid out inside and equipped with an impressive specification.
Against this, the BMW remains the best to drive and the most financially attractive given the diesel's frugal fuel consumption and equally low CO2 figures. To counter that, the Lexus hybrid power is alluring.
If you are looking at the entry level version of the GS, then the 3-litre version may seem attractive at €67,950, but it lacks the pace of the hybrid and must be bought before July 1st to avoid a serious tax rise.
From July VRT on the GS 300 is going up to 36 per cent because it puts out 226g/km of CO2, and its road tax is rising to €2,000 per year. So if you want one, now is the time to buy.
After that, it's only really the hybrid that makes sense in the GS range. That means Lexus isn't really competing in every facet of the luxury saloon market. However, in the sub-segment where the hybrid is a rival, it's hard to argue against it.
It might not have the greatest environmental credentials, but it has fantastic power and you can fool a few people into thinking you've got a foot on the moral high ground as well.
That's worth a few euro in our increasingly politically correct motoring world. And as we've said at the start, it looks great as well. Even if the anticipation was not quite seamless.
FACTFILE Lexus GS 450h Executive
CC:3456 along with electric motor
0-100km/h:5.9 seconds
Max speed:250km/h
BHP:296 (plus 200bhp from motor)
Fuel (com):7.9 L/100km (35.8mpg)
CO2 emissions:185g/km Price: €74,610
Engine:3456cc V6 24V petrol engine putting out 296bhp @ 6,400rpm and 368Nm @ 4,800rpm combined with an electric motor capable of 200bhp and 275Nm of torque.
Specification:Standard features include: ABS with EBD and brake assist; adaptive suspension with normal/comfort/sport settings; traction and stability control; dual front, side, pelvic, knee airbags for driver and passenger; rear seat side and curtain airbags; alarm; UV and heat insulating tinted glass; electric assist boot closing; i-AFS - intelligent adaptive front lighting system; front foglights; 18" alloys; touch screen 7" electro multivision display; radio with 6-CD autochanger and 10 speakers; climate control; Bluetooth phone connection; colour parking assist monitor; cruise control; Leather upholstery.
L/100km (mpg):urban: 9.1 (31.0); extra-urban: 7.1 (39.8); combined: 7.9 (35.8)
CO2 emissions:185 g/km
Tax bands from July 1st:VRT - 28 per cent; annual road tax - €600. Hybrid model also gets €2,500 rebate on new car price
Price:€74,610