Luxury takes a speedy turn with new Lexus offerings

By Roshan P Cherian/Abu Dhabi

Chief Engineer Yoshihiko Kanamori with the new GS line up

Lexus has taken aggression to heart with its all-new GS series. A new aggressive look and feel are the defining aspects of the range. The designers aimed at making the car look bolder and give it a strong dynamic face. The customer targeted is the one who seeks a performance vehicle, someone who likes to do his “own driving and is conscious about image”. The ‘Grand touring Sedan’ fits the sporting sedan description - with plenty of cylinders packed into a compact yet very roomy package. The new GS series being new from the ground-up incorporate lots of new technology, but the one Lexus officials emphasised most was its all wheel steering which means all wheels turn as one. Lexus calls this the Lexus Dynamic Handling system which integrates Dynamic Rear Steering.The Middle East launch was held late in February at the Yas Marina F1 race track in Abu Dhabi. The line up includes the GS 250, GS 350, a GS 350 variant named the GS 350 F Sport and the hybrid GS 450H.Lexus has always dealt in luxury and elegance, the GS series is bringing a new aggressive edge to the line up. The latest line up is also at the heart of a new identity for Lexus. The GS series features a new grille which will mark out a fresh look for Lexus. This new grille will be seen on all subsequent models.“This is the most technologically advanced car in the Lexus lineup. As the core of the Lexus sedan family, the GS is the first example of the reinvented Lexus Brand,” reiterates a Lexus statement.This car will certainly catch the fancy of the performance oriented customer. The latest styling borrows from the LFA sports car - particularly evident in the GS 350 F Sport. The front end’s similarity with the LFA shows the direction the new cars are taking.Lexus GS chief engineer Yoshihiko Kanamori said: “The GS is the core of the Lexus sedan family and our new model signifies the shift in our design philosophy that we first started to show in both the LFA and CT200h. “We hope that we have created a car that not only signifies the new direction of Lexus, but the continuation of the high luxury and performance standards that our customers with unique and advanced value expect.”On the track, ripping down the straights or sliding into the many bends, the car does make you forget that it is actually a luxury saloon – chic leather seating for four and enough gadgets to make a spaceship look slightly dated.Acceleration even in amateur hands was downright thrilling - the smaller-engined 250 equally so as it pulled hard through the straights and took the bends with great aplomb.The GS 250 is an excellent option for someone who doesn’t want to pay a figure that will certainly be over $40,000 for the larger-engined vehicles. The company has not yet released prices for the lineup.The GS 350 was the outright winner at least on the day. Power came through very well and just when your foot seemed to have hit bottom in the carpeted floor as you mash down in Sports mode - the car finds yet more reserves of power around the 170kph mark. But by then we are into a sharp bend and its  brakes that have to be floored. Braking is confidence inspiring, linear and bereft of even a hint of any loss of control or swerve.Going through a short slalom course set up on the track with traffic cones, all cars displayed sharp handling as brakes were applied hard and the car thrown repeatedly into alternating left and right turns.The hybrid GS 450h is literally a quiet performer. At coasting speeds or idle, there is not a sound to be heard. The battery pack in the back drives the car until 40kph. In this range there is a feeling of supreme calm. You wouldn’t know there was a gasoline engine in front. Handling and speed felt rather similar even with the heavy battery in the back the car did not tail out or feel unbalanced. It sailed through the slalom with equal ease.Beyond 40kph, the petrol engine takes over and at speeds of over 100kph both petrol and electric plants work together. The gasoline engine and electric motor in concert develop 338HP.This car could be a style statement or reflect your concern for the environment. This concern is evident in sales patterns according to Kanamori. In most markets in the western world sales of hybrid vehicle across product ranges are climbing.The overall impression was of performance and handling far beyond most expectations of a mid size luxury sedan.Tech specsThe 2012 GS will be available with three 6-speed automatic engine choices: A V6 2.5L on the GS 250 with 206HP, a V6 3.5L on the GS 350 with 312HP, a 3.5L engine combined with Lexus hybrid system with 340HP on the GS450h.The new GS features a double wishbone front and multilink rear suspension system which upholds the famed Lexus ride comfort and quality.The next generation GS also features a ‘Drive Mode’ select function that allows the driver to choose between Eco, Normal, Sport S and Sport S+. These maximize the efficiency or its sportier dynamic abilities.TechnologyThe ‘Driver Monitor Camera’ which is able to determine if the driver’s eyes are closed .The All-Speed Adaptive Cruise Control (available only on 450h) which works with the Advanced Pre-Crash Safety system that is able to detect obstacles in front of the car, even during cornering. The GS is equipped with a new ‘Head up Display’ which gives essential information such as tachometer and navigation instructions to the windscreen base in the driver’s line of sight.The GS is equipped with a new air-conditioning feature called S-flow technology which maintains comfort while reducing power consumption.