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A fuel-efficient hybrid with V8 Power? Lexus’s ambitious new LS 600h L reaches for the best of all possible worlds: power, efficient and luxury.
The Lexus LS600h L is the all new hybrid version of the company’s flagship LS model luxury sedan. Impressively, the LS600h L is the world's first hybrid vehicle to offer a full hybrid V8 engine, making it somewhat of an oddity among the current crop of “smaller than thou” hybrid vehicle motors.
But instead of competing with the ever-smaller hybrids it’s competitors seem to be churning out, Lexus has done a 180 with the LS 600h L and gone for increased power and luxury, in a car that just happens to use a fuel efficient hybrid motor.
With the LS 600h L, Lexus has combined a powerful new five-liter V8 engine with and innovative high-output electric motor and high-capacity battery array. The resulting V8 hybrid motor delivers a combined output greater than 430 horsepower, making it possibly the most powerful hybrid vehicle on the road.
But despite the high performance, Lexus has ensured that the LS 600h L is a SULEV-rated vehicle, producing approximately 20% of the emissions of conventional five-liter V8s. Power is delivered via an ECVT all-wheel-drive transmission for superior handling control.
The LS hybrid is already raising eyebrows for its piston-popping engine performance, combined with clean emissions and fuel efficiency. But the LS 600h L is also a luxury vehicle, and accordingly retains the company’s high standards for interior silence and comfort.
Silent Running
Converting the LS 600h L into a powerful hybrid while maintaining the “silent cabin” that Lexus owners have come to expect required extensive re-engineering. But with interior noise levels around half that of conventional luxury sedans, the hybrid LS has maintained the Lexus “noiseless” tradition and prestige nicely.
The LS 600h L also includes a new and improved version of Lexus’ Advanced Pre-Collision System (APCS). One new APCS feature is the ability to detect pedestrians in the vehicle’s path, something unseen in earlier versions.
Luxuriously Simple
Lexus has gone all out with its new hybrid sedan, as well it should; the LS has long been the companies flagship, and they’d be foolish to do anything to tarnish its reputation.
The leather and wood interior is rich and stylish. Heating or cooling the seats is as simple as adjusting for lumbar support or reclining.
The 600h L even boasts a rear seat remote control, enabling passengers to lay back, raise or lower a foot-rest to any desired height, all while enjoying a massage! The level of attention to detail and luxury is simply staggering.
The Lexus 600h L really does offer the best of both worlds—or possibly the best of all possible worlds. With its innovative engineering, combined with superior hybrid power drive-train, the LS 600h L re-defines the luxury sedan, while managing to remain “green” and fuel efficient at the same time.
Of course, all that luxury has its price. The 600h L has a MSRP beginning at $104,000, while fully equipped models carry a sticker price just shy of $125,000 retail.