Living in luxury

LEXUS is aiming to substantially tighten its grip on the luxury segment in Australia over the next three years with an armada of new models.

In the short term, two more high-performance petrol-electric hybrid models will join the just-launched GS450h: the RX400h 4WD wagon from October, and the LS600h luxury sedan from early next year.

From November, a new LS460 V8 model will also be available.

The Japanese luxury player is also working on introducing a BMW 1 Series-size hatchback, a new-generation SC coupe/cabrio (based on the small-medium IS platform), another 4WD model and a high-performance 320km/h V10 coupe based on the LFA concept.

Some details of the SC cabrio have already been revealed and spy shots in Europe have shown a handsome convertible with a metal electric folding roof.

The car is said to be based on the LF-C concept shown at the 2004 New York motor show, which was powered by a V8 mated to a six-speed sequential automatic.

The LF-C’s wheelbase is 120mm longer than the IS, while overall length is virtually identical. The production version is due to be unveiled in Detroit in January and is expected to have the 4.6-litre V8 used in the new LS460 sedan.

The new Lexus hatch, called the BS, will also be based on the IS platform and offer a range of petrol and diesel engines, among them a 2.5-litre V6 and 3.0-litre V6. The small Lexus is aimed squarely at the 1 Series, Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-class, and represents a strong push into the diesel-dominant European market.

For its part, the new LS460 will feature a 284kW/470Nm 4.6-litre V8 mated to an eightspeed automatic. It will be sold in either (or both) short- and long-wheelbase guise, while the LS600h, which combines a 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine with high-output electric motors and a new large-capacity battery pack, will be long-wheelbase only.

Lexus claims the hybrid will deliver peak power of more than 320kW, which will be combined with a new all-wheel drive system and dual-stage electronic continuously variable-transmission similar to the GS450h.

The company says the LS600h will provide the performance of a 12-cylinder car with the fuel economy of a V6. It claims that the LS600h will return 14.0L/100km on a combined cycle while the LS430 petrol V8 delivers 9.5L/100km.

Apart from its green credentials, the LS600h is a SULEV-rated (Super Low Emissions) vehicle and is expected to produce just 20 per cent of the smog-forming emissions of a conventional 5.0-litre V8.

At 5151mm long, the long-wheelbase LS600h is 42mm shy of a Holden Statesman Caprice and has a wheelbase of 3091mm. Even the standard LS460 is bigger in every respect than the outgoing car and sits on a 43mm longer wheelbase than the LS430. The LS460 is 5029mm long and 1874mm wide.

The LS600h will feature a pre-collision system, up to 10 airbags and a host of traction and stability nannies as well as a full active suspension.

Long-wheelbase versions are expected to have a host of Lexus-level luxury appointments including a four-seat configuration with a fixed rear console and foldout table, and reclining rear seats with ottoman and massage functions.

A 19-speaker premium Mark Levinson stereo and 19-inch DVD fold-down screen will be standard across the new LS line.

What's coming from Lexus:

RX400h - Octover
LS460 - November
LS600h - April 2007
IS350 - 2007
SC250 coupe/cabrio - 2007
IS hatchback - 2008
IS AWD wagon - 2008
LFA V10 coupe - 2008
RX350 - 2009