Lexus GS 450h, test drive (Engine, performance, handling and fuel consumption)

When we think of a luxury saloon, brands like Mercedes, BMW and Audi immediately come to mind… with their respective Class E, 5 Series or A6. But there are very interesting alternatives that rival the models mentioned. Alternatives that offer a different take on what a premium saloon should be. Sportiness or comfort? Low consumption or performance? Why choose when we can have all of this in one car?

Specifically, today we test a saloon over five metres long, with a powerful 345 hp engine, fuel consumption typical of a diesel saloon, sublime ride comfort thanks to its air suspension, a spacious interior for five adults, a premium sound system that turns the car into a concert hall, and above all the sportiness of its 345 hp. A hybrid saloon that is also sporty? Yes, in this Lexus GS450h comfort and maximum sportiness are not at odds.

Engine and performance

To start unpacking the new Lexus GS, let’s begin with the engine, in Spain the combination of an electric motor and a petrol engine is one of the two available options; the other is the 250 petrol with 208 hp. But this hybrid setup has not skimped on performance or power.

Under the 450h designation lies a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine working together with an electric motor, and together they are capable of producing 345 hp. This has several advantages: on the one hand, we are talking about a very smooth engine. When not running in electric mode, the car uses the smooth V6 to get moving, and acceleration is always linear and progressive.

This combination of petrol and electric power also offers advantages in terms of maintenance and reliability, since a petrol engine is cheaper to maintain than a diesel and more reliable in terms of simplicity, as it is a V6 built the old-fashioned way (no downsizing, no turbos, no pushing the engine to its limits…).

But is it sporty, is it really performance-oriented? It goes without saying that a hybrid vehicle weighs more, which can detract from its agility; in the case of the GS, it weighs over two tonnes and is also a car of considerable dimensions. But the answer to whether it is performance-oriented is emphatic: yes.

We can choose several driving modes (I will discuss this topic in depth in the handling section). We can drive more efficiently and aim for low consumption, or push the accelerator down and feel its 345 hp start to push hard, with the engine sound coming very close to that of a typical petrol sports car (over time, this sound wins you over).

That said, the response is not as immediate as in an equivalent turbocharged diesel V6, which delivers all its force from low revs, but it still gathers speed quickly, and once we rev higher, the engine becomes more aggressive.

As a good hybrid, it uses a six-speed CVT automatic gearbox that sends all the power to the rear axle. The gearbox has improved smoothness (on other models it revved higher and was less refined), but it clearly does not match the smoothness and speed of a dual-clutch unit. It has a sequential mode and paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Handling

Travelling aboard a Lexus GS is most like being in a bubble that isolates you from the outside world in a sublime way. We already had this sensation in the Lexus RX450h test, thanks to the air suspension, and it is precisely repeated in the GS thanks to its adjustable air suspension system.

On the road, ride comfort is very high. The car absorbs road irregularities and is well insulated, maintaining the comfort of its occupants. Add to that the micro-perforated leather seats (ventilated and heated), and whatever the weather and whatever the road, you will travel like a head of state.

To get the most out of it, the car has a selector dial that lets you choose four different modes: ECO, Normal, Sport and Sport+. All of them affect the throttle response (making it quicker or slower), the steering (increasing or decreasing assistance) and the suspension (in Sport+ it firms up). In Sport and Sport+ modes, the right-hand gauge in the instrument cluster becomes a rev counter, while in Normal and ECO modes it shows the efficiency of our driving.

And the sporty side? Until we had the chance to test the new GS on track, I personally had my reservations about the agility and sportiness of this car. But adjustable air suspension, a good chassis and a powerful engine work real miracles. Obviously it is not a Audi TT in terms of dynamism, but if we consider its weight and size, the agility it shows when we select Sport+ mode on the central dial is impressive.

And the sportiness reaches its peak if we go for the F Sport version, which, in addition to distinctive exterior styling, has a different steering system, a five-stage advanced stability control and a rear-wheel steering axle that improves response and dynamism.

In short, the Lexus GS surprises with its level of interior comfort but at the same time allows certain sporting liberties unusual in a car of this size. Finally, the brakes are effective but have the typical feel of a hybrid.

Consumption

On the motorway it makes do with just 6.6 litres per 100 km, a very good figure, more typical of a 300 hp diesel saloon than a petrol engine. On country roads, figures range between 7 and 8 litres per 100 km. It all depends on how careful we are with our driving; in this case, it will not be difficult to hover around 7 litres, while with more carefree driving consumption will be around 8 litres.

In town, we carried out two tests, one in central Madrid and another typical one in Vigo (the city of hills). In Madrid, after a route of about 10 km through central traffic, average consumption was 9 litres per 100 km. In the Galician city, consumption was around 10-11 litres per 100 km.

In the second part of the test we will discuss the exterior design of the Lexus GS, the interior, the quality of its finish, and the space it offers passengers. We will also look at the size of the boot.

Photos | Diego G. Moreira