Car Reviews > Lexus > GS > Lexus GS 450h F Sport Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £74,000 (estimated)
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: 6-speed CVT, rear-wheel drive Power: 338 bhp 0-60 mph: 5.9 seconds
Top Speed: 155 miles per hour
Economy: 47.8 miles per gallon
Emissions: 137g per kilometre
Equipment: Parking camera, leather, cruise control, Bluetooth, climate control, 19-inch alloys, display screen

The new Lexus GS F Sport luxury hybrid has arrived, but does it deliver on its promises?

There is no denying that the new Lexus GS 450h definitely represents something of a technical marvel. Unfortunately, there is also no denying its massive kerb weight of 1820 kilograms, which means that it is definitely more of a cruiser than it will ever be a sports saloon.

In order to try and spice things up a bit, the company has set out to develop an array of modifications including the likes of returned dampers and springs for the adaptive suspension, a dynamic handling system and larger front brakes. The dynamic handling system comprises of a variable-ratio steering track and rear-wheel steering.

When the vehicle is travelling at speeds of less than 50 miles per hour, the front and back wheels turn in opposite directions, but once the car is travelling at speeds above 50 miles per hour they are able to turn in the same direction in order to be able to help with stability.

When testing both the F Sport package and the standard model back to back, the difference turned out to be nothing less than profound. The normal vehicle is fast but otherwise uninspiring, but the F Sport is incredibly agile as well as fast. The vehicle is able to drive quickly into corners thanks to the rear-wheel steering and body roll is very well contained. The steering is also considerably faster and much more communicative, and the upgraded brakes are very powerful indeed.

This brand new system can admittedly feel a little bit on the strange side, at least to begin with. This is due to the fact that the steering is actually being managed by computers, which does makes you question whether the feeling you are getting is actually really there at all or just a result of being artificial generated, but this is easy enough to get over and get used to in the end.

When you also factor in the frugal but still very rapid V6 hybrid engine, which is capable of a bhp rating of no less than 338, then the Lexus certainly stands out as an intriguing alternative vehicle to the mainstream.

The F Sport turns out to be a much racier saloon, particularly in comparison to the standard GS vehicle, and it comes equipped with much better handling as well. While it admittedly does not ultimately run any faster than the standard model, the fact remains that it does do a lot more with what it actually has. The company has also thrown pretty much everything including the kitchen sink at the chassis, and the fact that this approach has been a successful one is more than proven by the way the car deals with corners.

On the downside, it all feels a little bit on the artificial side, and when it does finally arrive on the market during the summer of next year, the cost will be an exorbitant £74,000. At that price, it will therefore be every bit as expensive as a real super-saloon such as the likes of the BMW M5, and it is difficult to justify that price for what we have been given here.

by Autoweb