2005 Lexus Es330 on 2040-cars

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2023 Lexus LS gets Lexus Interface infotainment and more USBs

The 2023 Lexus LS is headed to dealers shortly, bringing one very important update as well as a few detail touch-ups. The headliner is the Lexus Interface infotainment system replacing the trackpad-based setup noted for being fiddly at best. Lexus Interface is the luxury brand's version of the Toyota Audio Multimedia system that debuted at the end of 2021 before moving to the nicer part of town with its arrival in the refreshed Lexus NX last year. The high-res, anti-glare 12.3-inch touchscreen atop the instrument panel can be awakened with voice commands like "Hey Lexus." The detail revisions include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and more USB ports around the cabin — six in total. Sign up for a Drive Connect subscription and get cloud-based navigation with stress-relieving tech like live traffic and points-of-interest. The LS 500h alone comes with Lexus Teammate, the brand's Level 2 autonomous driving system. Teammate's Advanced Drive component will manage steering, braking, lane changes, traffic jams, and certain interchanges on limited-access highways, while Advanced Park can put the sedan into a chosen spot at the destination. Engines and trims don't change, but the steering, braking, 10-speed automatic, and suspension have been tweaked to provide an even more poised and compelling ride. The suspension's front and rear anti-roll bars are "optimized" in a way that tamps body roll in corners, so we'll guess the bars have been stiffened in some mysterious fashion. As for mills, every LS 500 is pulled along by a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 with 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The LS 500h uses a 3.5-liter V6 assisted by two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack, combined output coming to 354 hp. It's not as quick as the twin-turbo V6, but it gets around 20% better fuel economy. Comparing AWD models to keep it like-for-like, the LS 500 AWD gets 17 miles per gallon in the city, 27 on the highway, and 21 combined. The LS 500h AWD returns 22 miles per gallon in the city, 29 on the highway, and 25 combined. MSRPs are up a meager $285 over the 2022 figures. Sticker prices for the lineup after the $1,150 destination charge are: LS 500: $78,685 LS 500 F Sport: $82,285 LS 500 AWD: $81,835 LS 500 F Sport AWD: $85,535 LS 500h AWD: $114,585 Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Walkaround

Lexus J201 Concept | Overlanding into uncharted brand terrain

Taking a left turn off of I-10 outside of Palm Springs, California, we drove down a rutted, sand-blown track for a couple miles before ending up at a tall, rocky pile, an outcrop scaled somewhere between a hillock and a massif. After shifting the transmission into neutral, engaging the four-wheel-drive low range, and closing the ARB Air Locking differentials, we got even and steady on the throttle and pointed our truck—a seven-figure, one-off, overlanding concept known as the Lexus J201—up the steep, rocky face until all that showed through the windshield was dust and searing sky. The truck handled the challenge with marked aplomb, cresting the ridge without a huff, and eventually leveling off and displaying the glories of what was on the other side: a meth lab. So capable was this vehicle that it was easy to forget that the platform that underpinned all of this ruggedness was LexusÂ’ posh, flagship SUV, the $88,000 LX 570. This jacked and tracked truck begs the question: Has Lexus gone rogue? “Going rogue is actually part of who we are,” says Vinay Shahani, the brandÂ’s vice president of marketing for America. “And we love to experiment. J201 is a rolling example of our belief in Always On, the idea of continual improvement no matter the time in a vehicleÂ’s lifecycle.” The reference to time-in-lifecycle is kind of an understatement for a vehicle that has existed in its current form, with only minor cosmetic updates, since 2008 — two lifetimes in the product span of most automobiles. But the J201 Concept does add significant upgrades to the production vehicle, which, based as it is on the venerable and caprine Toyota Land Cruiser, is hardly a slouch in the off-road-capability department. In addition to the performance differentials mentioned above, the J201 benefits from a myriad of additional add-ons. These include rugged accessories such as an Icon Vehicle Dynamics suspension good for a few extra inches of ride height, and even more when the suspension is put in extreme high mode; smaller 17-inch Evo Corse Dakar Zero wheels mounted with 33-inch General Grabber X3 tires; a TJM Airtec snorkel for breathing underwater (something we did not get to experience in the parched Coachella Valley); and StopTech drilled brake rotors. It also includes bolt-ons such as CBI skid plates, rock sliders, and front and rear bumpers; a Warn winch; a Prinsu Design roof rack system; an onboard ARB twin compressor; and luminescence of Rigid Industries light bars.

Lincoln MKC crossover adopts the Continental's grille

The last vestiges of the controversial split Lincoln grille are slowly being removed as the company revamps its lineup. It started with the MKZ and Continental, with the most recent rhinoplasty recipient being the Navigator. Now, based on spy shots, it looks like the MKC crossover will be the fourth to get the new corporate grille. Under the heavy vinyl coverings, we can clearly see the proud Continental-inspired grille. We can also see that it will feature the same chrome mesh with Lincoln badge-shaped openings found on other cars with the grille design. We can also assume that the headlights will receive a substantial refresh, but the lower bumper doesn't look particularly different. The rest of this prototype MKC looks the same as the existing model. The back is covered, which indicates that the taillights may be updated. We wouldn't expect a radically different look, since the MKC already has a full-width taillight treatment. We also noticed that the wheels appear to be inspired by the cool turbine wheels of the Navigator. Whatever the other changes are, we'll probably see them soon. This is clearly just a refresh, and so there's a good chance we'll see the production model revealed by the end of the year, or early next year at the latest. Related Video: