Leftlane News is reporting that the new Lexus LS will debut “within the next few months”:
Although details remain sketchy, Lexus is putting the finishing touches on its next-generation LS sedan, with the BMW 7-Series rival likely to bow by year’s end. The LS will join fresh versions of the GS and ES sedans in the Lexus lineup.
Short and long-wheelbase versions of the LS will carry over, but the LS’ all-V8 lineup might not. It’s possible Lexus could offer a LS model with a V6, following similar downsizing moves by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Lexus could even swap out the LS’ V8 hybrid drivetrain for the hybridized 3.5L V6 used in the GS 450h.
Not to downplay the news, but when camouflaged test units start showing up on California roads, that’s a good sign that an official launch is on its way (for instance, the first camouflaged units of the 2013 GS showed up in June, just two months before its launch in Pebble Beach).
As for the idea of a hybrid V6 LS, it’s been discussed at length — given the carried-over engines in the new GS & ES, I have a feeling that the LS 460 & LS 600h powertrains will stay the same, but having a V6 hybrid in the range makes for an interesting possibility.
[Source: Leftlane News]
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