Different Strokes

The fifth-generation Lexus LS has been a long time coming and it’s a far cry from its predecessor, for better or worse.

- Daryl Lee

You could say that the new, fifth-generation Lexus LS has a point to prove. After all, its predecessor was in production for a decade, from 2007 to 2017. This, of course, is ridiculously long by modern standards, when many carmakers work on a five-year product life cycle.

Yes, the fourth-generation LS was refreshed twice along the The new LS 500 is built on the platform of the high-performance LC coupe. way, but no amount of cosmetic tweaks will save an ageing chassis and systems.

But where its predecessor was traditional in the extreme –  a template set by the firstgeneration LS in 1989 – the new car is somewhat less conservative. Oh, what am I saying, the new LS pretty much takes a flamethrower to that rule book.

Its cab-rearward profile, flowing roofline and notchback rear is about as atypical as a flagship limousine can get, with the new LS looking rather like a four-door GT. A deliberate move, says its lead designer Koichi Suga, intended to appeal to new, younger buyers, “improve the emotional appeal... and move in a more radical direction”.