Hot on the heels of the new Lexus GS, the new LS continues Lexus’s development of its model line-up. The manufacturer promises the LS will display an even greater refinement and an evolution of the advanced technologies and superior quality that have been integral to each generation of the vehicle since the original model was launched in 1989.

The most obvious changes are to the exterior styling, where the new LS adopts the distinctive Lexus spindle front grille design, but the development of the model goes much deeper to include improved driving dynamics, better sound insulation and more sophisticated and effective preventive safety systems.

Changes include three world-firsts and 15 “Lexus-first” features and technologies.  It has not been a case of change for change’s sake either according to the car maker, Lexus has responded to customer feedback throughout every aspect of the car’s development. The aim has been to raise the bar even higher in terms of refinement, comfort, driving performance, technical excellence and, above all, quality.

In a first for Lexus, all lights – headlights, rear lamps and fog lights – are available with LED technology. The new shape vertical fog lights include new L-shaped, seamless light tube daytime running lights.

It has also developed the LS’s Adaptive Variable Suspension with a new four-wheel interlock control, which suppresses roll, pitch and heave vibration at all four wheels simultaneously. Damping response has been made smoother and more highly controlled to give a flatter, road-hugging ride.

The seats have been further improved and, in a world first, the front and rear seat climate control and the steering wheel rim heater can be automatically co-ordinated and incorporated in the new Lexus Climate Concierge system, which uses an array of up to 13 sensors around the cabin to deliver prompt and precise heating and cooling, across four cabin zones.

As well as focusing on greater refinement, the interior also presents further advances in Lexus’s human-machine interface technologies. The award-winning Remote Touch Interface gives easy and intuitive control of the car’s infotainment systems, via a 12.3-inch multimedia display – a screen large enough to present two types of information simultaneously.

The Lexus Navigation system benefits from powerful HDD capacity and internet connectivity, making it one of the fastest and most accurate systems on the market.

The new Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h will go on sale in the UK later this year, with further details of performance, specification and pricing to be announced.