Having revealed the new gasoline-only GS 350 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegancein California, Lexus chose the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt for the unveiling of the hybrid variant that we will come to know as the GS 450h.
The full hybrid model is based on the fourth generation body style and it uses a 290-horsepower, 3.5l-itre V6 Atkinson cycle petrol engine, in conjunction with a two-motor hybrid system.The total system output is 343-horses [DIN] at 6,000 rpm and 345Nm (255 lb-ft) of peak torque at 4,600 rpm. Power is channelled to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential-shift E-CVT.
The Japanese company says it has made improvements to every aspect of its second-generation Lexus Hybrid Drive system, achieving both substantial reductions in fuel consumption, CO2, NOx and PM emissions, while also promising performance that is on par with comparable V8-powered rivals.
In European specification, the GS 450h completes the sprint from 0-100km/h (62mph) in 5.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 250km/h (155mph).
In the European driving cycle, average fuel consumption has been reduced by 18% to 6.3lt/100 km (equal to 37.3mpg US or 44.8mpg UK), while CO2 emissions have fallen to below 145g/km.
Notable new technologies making their debut on the GS 450h include an energy saving air conditioning system that is said to be 10 times more powerful than the previous system while significantly reducing power consumption and a second-generation Remote Touch Interface (RTI) linked to a gigantic 12.3-inch multi-information display screen.
Compared to its predecessor, while keeping the same overall length, the new GS has a 10mm shorter front overhang, a 10mm longer rear overhang and is 30mm taller. Furthermore, the front track has been increased by 40mm and the rear track by 50mmm while the overall width has increased by 20mm.
The repackaging of the hybrid battery into a stacked format helps increase the GS 450h’s luggage capacity to 465 litres (55% increase over current GS 450h).
Exclusive styling features to the hybrid GS 450h include a different headlamp design that aligns the turn signal and the high and low beam LED lamps in a single horizontal row, hybrid-specific, front rear and side blue badging and hidden exhaust pipe apertures. Inside, the differences over the GS 350 include a real bamboo-finish for the steering wheel and a bespoke hybrid monitor display.
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Performance is more than adequate with the GTC accelerating from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 314 km/h (195 mph).
