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Future Lexus products to feature heavier focus on performance and handling

There’s a sea change of performance occurring over at Lexus these days. At least, thatÂ’s what the Japanese luxury automaker claims. Lexus has made plenty of excellent performance cars in its past, but the brand has never been known for performance. Instead, Lexus has produced some of the most comfortable, reliable and serene automobiles to ever come out of Japan, and it's found success in doing so. The brand has a clear identity, but itÂ’s looking to massage that identity. “Moving forward, the efforts of the CE (chief engineer) will be focused on elevating the vehicles to a new standard of performance and handling as developed by Lexus International President Koji Sato and Chief Branding Officer Akio Toyoda,” Lexus said in a statement. “The ultimate goal is to deliver a new generation of Lexus vehicles that is more balanced, refined in control, and confident than ever before.” A new “standard of performance and handling” has definitely raised our eyebrows, and weÂ’re curious to know what that looks and feels like. Toyota has already shown clear signs of upping its performance gains with the GR brand and additional TRD models. ItÂ’s only the beginning, and it looks like Lexus is going to follow the parent brand into this performance space. The construction of a new testing facility in Japan was instrumental in this fight for more performance, according to Lexus. We wrote about the mini Nurburgring replica before. ItÂ’s called Shimoyama, and Lexus will be developing its vehicles at this facility for the foreseeable future. “More than merely a new test facility, this asphalt track signals a change in LexusÂ’ product development course and speaks to the brandÂ’s commitment to its human-centered nature,” Lexus says. What does that entail for the cars? Lexus has an answer there, too: “Linear steering, brake responses, and optimized handling with exceptional ride quality is the result of heightened focus on tuning of the chassis and its interactions with the control surfaces through diligent evaluation at a test facility unlike any other.” 2021 Lexus IS View 25 Photos The new 2021 IS is meant to be the first of many vehicles that exemplify LexusÂ’ new performance philosophy. This “cultural shift” is meant to build on what Lexus has already done with F-branded cars, in addition to the wonderful LC.

We'll see the next Lexus LS debut in Detroit this January

Lexus announced today that the next-generation LS luxury sedan will make its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. A fitting venue considering the original LS sedan made its debut there way back in 1989. Lexus didn't reveal much about the new flagship other than the teaser photo above. The company says that the LS will use a lengthened version of the LC 500 coupe's chassis, which should be a good thing if it also means Lexus can give the LS even a little bit of the emotion and character we found in the LC. Since the LS will share chassis design with the LC, it will probably share powertrains, too. This means it could get the both the LC 500's 471-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 coupled to a 10-speed auto, and the 354-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 hybrid unit with its 4-speed automatic from the LC 500h. As for styling, the LS will probably look like a toned-down version of the LF-FC concept. Lexus describes the car as having a "coupe-like silhouette." Spy shots of the big four-door seem to show a relatively conventional sedan body with a rakish windshield. We'll reserve final judgement for when we see the uncovered car. The 2017 North American International Auto Show will be a big one for Toyota. In addition to revealing this new Lexus flagship, the company will unveil the completely redesigned Camry. Based on the teaser shot released last week, this new Camry will likely be a significant departure from the conservative machine we know now. We'll be sure to bring you all the details on both models when they're released in January. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2019 Lexus LX 570 Drivers' Notes Review | Long in the tooth

Body-on-frame SUVs like the 2019 Lexus LX 570 might have ruled the market a couple decades ago, but the old-school form factor has given way to smaller, more efficient car-based crossovers. That said, there's still a big market for models like this. Just take a look at the success of the Toyota 4Runner or other luxury SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade or the Ford F-150-based Lincoln Navigator. Crossovers may be more popular, but nothing beats an old-school SUV's chops when it comes to going off-road or towing big cargo. The Lexus LX is available in two flavors: a five-passenger two-row model and a seven-passenger three-row model. We had a chance to drive both, the first in Michigan and the latter in Oregon. There's a $5,000 difference between the base price on the two models. Both models had the $1,190 Luxury Package (upgraded leather, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second row and LX puddle lights). The three-row came with quite a few more options, including a heads-up display, a cool box in the console, a Mark Levinson audio system and a dual-screen rear entertainment system. All in, our two-row tester came out to $88,195 while the three-row would set you back $99,710. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: I like the design of the LX, and I can even overlook the giant spindle grille. I love the behemoth's boxy proportions, rounded out just ever so slightly, though I do think Toyota's version looks even better, and the Lincoln's Navigator even better yet. Inside, the LX is comfortable and roomy, with really nice materials everywhere you look and touch. It's still got that mousey Remote Touch interface for the infotainment system, though, which leaves much to be desired. On the road, I noticed immediately that its adaptive air suspension is better than the more conventional setup in the Toyota Land Cruiser. It's just slightly less eager to see-saw when coming to a measured stop. Coming to a measured stop, though, is the problem. The brakes in this thing are super touchy, like an on/off switch. It makes every stop feel like an emergency, whether you mean to or not. Then, no amount of suspension tuning can keep a beast like this from taking a nosedive. The amount of concentration it takes to keep this thing from panicking any time you use the brakes is mentally exhausting over time. I'm just glad I didn't have anyone in the passenger seat. Lastly, this thing guzzles premium fuel.