1998 Lexus Gs300 Base Sedan 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Lexus LX to get diesel engine?

Australian consumers appear poised to get another diesel-burning luxury SUV in the near future, and word is it's coming from Lexus, of all automakers. Sean Hanley, chief executive of the company's branch in Oz, recently told Aussie website Drive that he's "pretty confident" that the new engine for the LX is getting the green light.
Like in the US, the LX in Australia is currently only offered with a 5.7-liter, gasoline-burning V8. However, sales of the big SUV are presently minuscule Down Under, with Drive reporting just 153 LX570s sold in all of Oz last year. Hanley is negotiating with Japan to get the new diesel in hopes of boosting flagging sales. If his efforts are successful, it would be the first diesel engine offered in a Lexus there. Hanley didn't specify exactly which mill the SUV would get. However, given the LX's close relationship with Toyota Land Cruiser, the diesel 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8 already available in the Toyota in markets outside of North America seems like a natural choice.
Don't expect the variant to be hopping across the Pacific, though. Lexus spokesperson Allison Takahashi tells Autoblog she has heard "nothing" about an oil-burning LX coming to the US. That's not a huge surprise, though, because neither Toyota nor Lexus offer any diesels in their lineups today. Also, Lexus has only sold 1,981 LX570s through June, which only placed it ahead of the LFA supercar in the brand's sales. It's probably just not worth certifying the engine for such a low-volume model.

Lexus postpones 2021 IS debut indefinitely

The new 2021 Lexus IS sports sedan was scheduled to make its debut today, but Lexus has made the decision to postpone the digital unveiling indefinitely. Lexus cites respect for "the recent global situation" as the reasoning for the postponement.  This week, Lexus released a simple statement on the digital debut of the 2021 IS. "Considering the recent global situation, Lexus has respectfully postponed the premier of the new IS, which was originally scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time, June 10," it said. "Revised timing will be announced soon." With worldwide outpouring of civil protests in regards to the death of George Floyd, police brutality and the movement for police reform — all in the midst of a pandemic — it seems like a malapropos time to unveil a new car. Autoblog reached out to Lexus for further clarification on when the car would debut, and the company said it hopes to have more news at a later date. When it does debut, the next-generation sports sedan will utilize rear-wheel drive, and we expect all-wheel drive to be an option. According to a report from Motor Trend, the new IS will ride on an evolutionary modified version of its current "New N" platform, as opposed to an all-new setup, but that is unconfirmed. Like the current IS, the upcoming IS will likely offer both four-cylinder and six-cylinder powertrains options, though it is unclear what the power will look like. Related Video:

2013 Lexus ES earns five stars from NHTSA

The 2013 Lexus ES has earned a five-star crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2013 ES 350 and ES 300h hybrid earned the highest ratings in each of the government's crash evaluations, including overall driver safety, frontal crashes and overall side impacts, save one. The sedan only achieved a four-star rating in the NHTSA rollover protection test, but that fault wasn't enough to keep the vehicle from earning a five-star designation overall.
The announcement doesn't mention the recent Consumer Reports claim that the ES comes with a faulty emergency trunk release that can be easily broken in a panic situation.
As you may recall, the 2013 ES 350 carries an MSRP of $36,100, plus an $895 destination fee and offers buyers a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 good for 248 pound-feet of torque, as well. The ES 300h, meanwhile, stickers at $38,850 plus the same destination charge.