For those with green ideals who insist on travelling in luxury in the backseat, Lexus has the answer, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor
It's hard to keep a straight face when confronted with a car that costs €180,000, manages 0-100km/h in just 6.3 seconds, weighs over 2.5 tonnes, is partly powered by a five-litre petrol engine, yet claims to be an environmentally-conscious vehicle. It's like listening to the pious speeches of diamond-clad socialites attending charity functions for the poor, while quaffing down copious quantities of Cristal champagne.
Yet in an age when even the most cold-hearted robber baron must at least pretend to have a social conscience, Lexus has tapped into the motoring zeitgeist with its new Lexus LS600h.
It is, of course, easy to demean any environmental claims for such an enormous flagship model, and roll your eyes to heaven at the thought that because of its green credentials it qualifies for a 50 per cent rebate in vehicle registration tax (VRT). Yet, if you can escape the obvious contradictions, dismount your moral high ground and accept the realities of life, it does start to make some sense.
The LS600h offers a cleaner alternative to motorists who simply will not consider travelling in anything other than the lap of luxury. They will never be persuaded to sacrifice the Bentley for a Toyota Prius and their deep pockets can cope with even the most outlandish luxury tax rises on either fuel or new car prices.
Better then to play the game by their rules: offer up a car that features enough creature comforts to rival their luxury homes, ample performance to challenge most sports cars in a drag race and yet a fuel economy and emissions level to outdo most diesel rivals in this class. Welcome then to the Prius for the privileged classes.
The LS600h is the pinnacle of hybrid engineering prowess: arguably the most technologically advanced car on the mainstream market to date. Lexus has taken the hybrid principles established at sister firm Toyota and applied them in a way that firmly establishes it as fully-fledged powertrain option alongside regular petrol and diesel engines.
Lexus is hybrid's most avid exponent, with three hybrid versions on sale: the RX400h SUV, the mid-range GS450h and now this flagship LS600h. Its fondness for hybrid derivatives is partly down to the strength of the brand in the US, where diesel is not an option, and also because premium models can more easily absorb the higher technology costs than price-sensitive mainstream models. Of all the hybrids developed to date, this is by far the most impressive.
That's largely down to its ability to seamlessly change between the 221bhp electric motor and the five-litre 389bhp engine without the slightest lurch in power or whirr of a starter motor. The most noticeable engineering feat is the eerie silence - when the electric motors are powering the LS continues even when the regular engine is in full flow. The nearest we have come to this sense of silent movement is sitting on a sailboat being blown along without the slightest mechanical sound. It's that quiet. In the LS at 120km/h the only noise is the gentle whine from the air-conditioning and even then you have to listen carefully to catch it.
Beneath the bonnet, it's not just the addition of electric motors and the rebored engine that make it different from the regular LS460 version. Lexus has opted to discard its eight-speed gearbox for a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and power hits the road through all four-wheels, thanks to a Torsen diff system that offers 50:50 front to rear power split, with the ability to adjust it to 30:70 if necessary.
The end result is pretty awesome and the official 0-100km/h time of 6.3 seconds seems a conservative estimate when behind the wheel. Yet it's the torque or pulling power of this luxury beast that really is jaw-dropping.
Despite its enormous physical presence, the electric motors mean that up to 300Nm is available from the moment you touch the right pedal. That's the beauty of electric power - it's instantaneous - and it comes to the fore in this setting.
It all combines to offer an official fuel economy figure of 9.3 L/100km (30.4mpg) and just 219g/km of CO2. Neither figure will secure Green Party approbation - and during our tests we only managed to achieve an average of 12.9 L/100km (21.9mpg) - but when compared with rivals within this luxury segment, it's equivalent to much smaller diesel engines while equalling some six-litre V12 petrol versions in terms of performance. Green laurels all round then to the engineers.
Not that many of its potential owners will worry about such things. They may buy it publicly for its "greener" image but privately they will be more concerned about the creature comforts. Of those there are no shortage. While the standard version is awash with comfort features, the long-wheelbase version - making up 30 per cent of Irish sales - includes additional features you'd be surprised to find on a first-class flight to the Middle East. Sumptuous leather seats are a given in this segment, but rear seats that can recline by 45 degrees, with an optional Ottoman footrest that folds out and three types of back massage, still come as a pleasant surprise to even the most pampered millionaire.
Rear seat features don't end there: there's the usual executive treats like a fold-down DVD screen, a coolbox in the centre console, an air-con system that adjusts to your body temperature and a 19-speaker Mark Levinson stereo system that lets you hear the record producer's assistant tapping her foot in the office next door to the studio. And of course, as the boss is in the back, every feature can be controlled from there, right down to moving the front passenger seat forward at the click of switch to increase rear legroom.
There is a price to be paid for all these electric gadgets and it's apparent in the boot. Behind the back seat is where a lot of the battery power is stored and that means that for a car of its size, it still only manages a boot of just 380 litres. That's enough for a couple of golf clubs but owners will have to pack light.
Up front and there's the same level of opulence combined with enough driver's aids to make the person behind the wheel feel semi-redundant.
There is a new pre-crash system, which is standard on the long-wheelbase version, that uses radars front and rear to constantly monitor the potential for collision and primes the brakes and steering to prevent the worst from happening. Along with the usual array of adaptive cruise control and a self-parking system that takes over and reverses the car into tight spots as the driver sits back and watches the steering wheel spin around, it all leads to a general feeling of point and click motoring.
That is, perhaps, the LS's greatest flaw. For all that performance, there's a lack of engagement with the driver. That's largely down to an over-light steering system and a suspension that doesn't seem in tune with our more challenging potholed roads.
Light, rather over-electronic, steering has become a trait of Lexus and that can be partly attributed to its popularity in the US. Clearly this is the sort of feel US drivers are comfortable with and more enthusiastic drivers in Europe must accept that until sales here reach US levels we have to give way to their preferred choice. Lexus is quick to point out that in the regular LS600h, active stabilisers are fitted as standard which, they claim, offers a more responsive ride. However, it doesn't come with the long-wheelbase version.
Then again, why would it? Buyers of this car won't be getting behind the wheel: they'll be too busy getting a rub down in the back to worry whether the paid help up front is enjoying the drive.
Starting at €139,000 for the regular version and €168,850 for the long-wheelbase version, the addition of a premium pack for €18,249 seems like small change.
And who wouldn't throw in all the extras when you consider the savings already made because those prices include a 50 per cent rebate on VRT as the LS and its five-litre V8 petrol engine qualifies under the Government's hybrid rebate scheme aimed at promoting greener cars. If for no other reason than the laughs you will have at the expense of the Revenue Commissioners at the next charity soirée, the LS is worth serious consideration.
It's light years ahead of its predecessor and can now rub shoulders with the benchmark S-Class as the ultimate luxury car to own. It may still lack the heritage, the driving appeal and cachet of its Stuttgart rival - along with enough bootspace for many - but in terms of engineering advances, the LS has it all, at least for the privileged people who ride, in great comfort, in the back.
ENGINE: Hybrid powertrain is a mix of 4,969cc V8 petrol engine offering 389bhp @ 6,400rpm and 520Nm of torque @ 4,000, combined with a 650V electric motor, putting out 221bhp and 300Nm of torque. It has a CVT (continuously variable transmission) and permanent four-wheel drive with limited slip differential.
SPECIFICATION: Standard features are just too many to list here but they include: pre-crash safety system; ABS; air suspension; traction and stability control; front, side, curtain, knee and thorax abdomen pelvis airbags; whiplash injury lessening front seats; 19" alloys; LED low-beam headlights and LED rear lights; parking assist monitor; electrically-assisted door and boot closing system; keyless entry with credit card key fob; 19-speaker Mark Levinson stereo with six CD/DVD changer; colour touchscreen monitor; Sat-Nav; leather seats. Options include: sunroof (€1,625) and premium pack (€18,249) The LS600h L also has as standard: rear relaxation seat (left-hand side) with massage controls and footrest; multifunctional control armrest; electric sunshades; body temperature sensing climate control; roof-mounted fold-out DVD player.
Factfile
OFFICIAL L/100KM (mpg):
Urban:11.3 (25)
Extra-urban:8.0 (35.3)
Combined:9.3 (30.4)
CO2emissions:219g/km
Annual motor tax:€1,343
Price:€168,850 for long-wheelbase with VRT rebate; €139,000 for regular version with VRT rebate