5th Generation (2018+) Lexus LS 500 & LS 500h Megathread

[mediumhot]

Here is something I am 100% positive about and no I do not have an insider nor I'm in the automotive industry anymore. Touchscreen return has caught Lexus off guard. Even in the LS, which was released just three years ago, the cabin was not designed to ever be retrofitted with a touchscreen panel. What we have here is designer's nightmare and what most likely happened was this: you can't mess with the dash shape or trims cause that would require hefty retooling but here is infotainment screen in cheap tack on housing for you to figure out what to do with it. And that was it. I'm pretty sure tablet housing design together with that unfortunate analogue clock came from completely different department that had very little or no input from the design team.

 

[spwolf]

Here is something I am 100% positive about and no I do not have an insider nor I'm in the automotive industry anymore. Touchscreen return has caught Lexus off guard. Even in the LS, which was released just three years ago, the cabin was not designed to ever be retrofitted with a touchscreen panel. What we have here is designer's nightmare and what most likely happened was this: you can't mess with the dash shape or trims cause that would require hefty retooling but here is infotainment screen in cheap tack on housing for you to figure out what to do with it. And that was it. I'm pretty sure tablet housing design together with that unfortunate analogue clock came from completely different department that had very little or no input from the design team.

it is same look they are putting with newer cars - tablet on top.

And how do you design original cabin so it can be retrofitted with something completely different?

 

[krew]

Lexus has announced a refresh for the LS flagship sedan, with an updated exterior and serious new driving assist technologies. The following is the full press release and all available photos.

Continuing the relentless evolution of a brand flagship, and introducing Lexus Teammate―the latest in advanced driving assist technologies

Evolution of the Lexus DNA for exceptional quietness and comfort
Application of Lexus Teammate―the latest in advanced driving assist technologies that are considerate of people’s sensibilities
Gin-ei Luster―a new exterior paint technology and color providing deep shadows and robust highlights
A high-quality interior inspired by traditional Japanese crafts, such as Nishijin brocade and metal leaf decoration

Lexus premiered the updated version of its flagship sedan, the LS, and announced that sales in Japan begin late 2020.
The first-generation LS debuted in 1989 and...

Continue reading...

 

[Sulu]

@Gecko is right but I do need to clear something up though.

The LC F project is in fact cancelled indefinitely and this is NOT a rumor. Why you may ask? Blame the pandemic.

Sorry, that did not clear it up for me. Please clarify -- again.

Is the LC F postponed indefinitely -- meaning that the project is on hold, with no date (at this moment) when it will be restarted (or cancelled outright)? Or is the LC F cancelled outright -- meaning the project is definitely stopped, with no possibility of restarting it again?

 

[ssun30]

The self-driving hardware will not be cheap because it's L4-ready. But again they are making no promises here because they don't want to underdeliver.

I don't think a gen-6 LS is coming anytime soon. TNGA will stay with us for a very long time, because it is near the end of how well an ICE platform can become without using non mass-producible materials (e.g. glued aluminum or CFRP).

What I think will happen is LS replaced with a production version of the LF-30 based on E-TNGA in 2025. Meanwhile they will keep making incremental 'Kaizen' like this which is a lost practice for many

My 'disappointment' with this update is just with the regression in non-F Sport exterior design and the tacked-on tablet with huge bezels. These are easy problems to fix.

 

[Sulu]

Here is something I am 100% positive about and no I do not have an insider nor I'm in the automotive industry anymore. Touchscreen return has caught Lexus off guard. Even in the LS, which was released just three years ago, the cabin was not designed to ever be retrofitted with a touchscreen panel. What we have here is designer's nightmare and what most likely happened was this: you can't mess with the dash shape or trims cause that would require hefty retooling but here is infotainment screen in cheap tack on housing for you to figure out what to do with it. And that was it. I'm pretty sure tablet housing design together with that unfortunate analogue clock came from completely different department that had very little or no input from the design team.

I agree. We just saw this change to a tablet in the recent IS update and now in the refresh of the LS, both cars which previously had central screen embedded under a shroud; and redesigning the whole instrument panel to bring the shroud over the closer-to-the-driver screen would have been taken too long and or been too expensive for a mere refresh.

But the refresh of the ES and the UX (both of which have their central, tablet-style, remote-touch screens mounted far from the driver) should see the replacement with a new touchscreen merely by moving the central tablet closer to the driver. The instrument panels of the ES and UX may have designed with a future change to a touchscreen already planned for.

 

[Sulu]

The self-driving hardware will not be cheap because it's L4-ready. But again they are making no promises here because they don't want to underdeliver.

I don't think a gen-6 LS is coming anytime soon. TNGA will stay with us for a very long time, because it is near the end of how well an ICE platform can become without using non mass-producible materials (e.g. glued aluminum or CFRP).

What I think will happen is LS replaced with a production version of the LF-30 based on E-TNGA in 2025. Meanwhile they will keep making incremental 'Kaizen' like this which is a lost practice for many

My 'disappointment' with this update is just with the regression in non-F Sport exterior design and the tacked-on tablet with huge bezels. These are easy problems to fix.

Are you suggesting that Lexus will skip L3 completely, and go from high-assistance L2 directly to a full-automation-in-certain-conditions L4?

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

Sorry, that did not clear it up for me. Please clarify -- again.

Is the LC F postponed indefinitely -- meaning that the project is on hold, with no date (at this moment) when it will be restarted (or cancelled outright)? Or is the LC F cancelled outright -- meaning the project is definitely stopped, with no possibility of restarting it again?

The former, but there is a chance that it will not be resurrected.

 

[ssun30]

Are you suggesting that Lexus will skip L3 completely, and go from high-assistance L2 directly to a full-automation-in-certain-conditions L4?

L3 has difficulty getting regulatory approval in many regions and for a good reason. There is no such thing as 'eyes off' and 'requiring driver intervention' at the same time. The whole definition of L3 is purely hypothetical and ignorant of human nature. Even in L2 ('hands-off') people regularly fall asleep behind the wheel, It's guaranteed they will be completely distracted in a L3 car.

Autonomous driving is all-or-nothing. The human either needs to be driving (with assist) or not driving at all. Many manufacturers are skipping L3 knowing it cannot be approved. The effort is best spent on L4.

 

[Berto3818]

All changes that were necessary to fix refinement issues on both the hybrid which was drug through the dirt because of it loud noises and not enough power and the noise from the TTV6. No can complain now about the infotainment, this will be much better than the original release

 

[Sulu]

Sorry, that did not clear it up for me. Please clarify -- again.

Is the LC F postponed indefinitely -- meaning that the project is on hold, with no date (at this moment) when it will be restarted (or cancelled outright)? Or is the LC F cancelled outright -- meaning the project is definitely stopped, with no possibility of restarting it again?

The former, but there is a chance that it will not be resurrected.

The optimistic -- the glass-half-full -- among us still have hope, then. You are telling us that the project has not been cancelled outright, just that it has been put aside in favour of higher-priority projects in this time of restraint.

 

[Hamed Al Ketbi]

I personally love the new facelift. Yes the current LS has a better front light but compared to the new s-class this looks way better!! Plus I’m sure when it comes to the showrooms, Lexus will have it’s own touch of refinement!!

Plus I really didn’t like the screen design, kinda look cheap material was used! Probably to keep the reliability to its best. Otherwise, overall it’s simply the best!!

 

[Ian Schmidt]

I personally love the new facelift. Yes the current LS has a better front light but compared to the new s-class this looks way better!! Plus I’m sure when it comes to the showrooms, Lexus will have it’s own touch of refinement!!

With Mercedes confirming the Tesla-clone interior on the new S Class I definitely think LS is in a strong position, especially if Teammate is good.

 

[Berto3818]

I agree @Ian Schmidt that interior in the new class is ugly. I waited to get mine so i wanted to see the changes. I'm finally making the move next year.

 

[Hamed Al Ketbi]

With Mercedes confirming the Tesla-clone interior on the new S Class I definitely think LS is in a strong position, especially if Teammate is good.

Yes you’re right. And I really like the fact that Lexus did the update sooner with upcoming S class as they both will compete with the new feature of AI autonomous driving. And we all know Lexus been working for years on that. Can’t wait to see Lexus win

 

[meth.ix]

I feel the LS F should be much lower priority than an LC F. A high performance flagship luxury sedan is an extremely niche segment. Especially given the fact that F vehicles sell a lot lower than their german rival counterparts, an LS F would be an unwise investment for Lexus. The costs for developing one would definitely be better off in IS F or next-gen RC F development, vehicles that have a lot more potential in the F brand image. Maybe one day if F is more successful and close to the level of M, AMG and RS, then Lexus can consider making seemingly pointless F models like Mercedes-AMG is doing now (they have a performance model for almost every Benz model, if not all of them).

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

The optimistic -- the glass-half-full -- among us still have hope, then. You are telling us that the project has not been cancelled outright, just that it has been put aside in favour of higher-priority projects in this time of restraint.

Oh no I forgot to tell you this part too...... Almost all projects at Toyota/Lexus (bar a certain few that's really integral to Toyota Motor Corporation) have been put on hold or are cancelled indefinitely (we're not sure which is which exactly but the LC F is one of the projects that is cancelled indefinitely) as nobody can actually go and develop the cars because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Ah there you go LOL I found the right word, "on hold" is a better way of describing it. The LC F project is on hold like the many other projects that were in development, but there is a chance that the project may be put down for good, so let's hope that's not the case and the car still pulls through after the dust settles from the pandemic. I just wanted to clarify that this car is not shelved so they can prioritize other "higher-priority projects" because a lot of those cars are probably on hold or are cancelled (be it indefinitely or forever) bar a few important cars.

I'll even find the quote from A70TTR who works at Toyota/Lexus with a lot of their future projects and I'll edit it here.

 

[James]

Oh no I forgot to tell you this part too...... Almost all projects at Toyota/Lexus (bar a certain few that's really integral to Toyota Motor Corporation) have been put on hold or are cancelled indefinitely (we're not sure which is which exactly but the LC F is one of the projects that is cancelled indefinitely) as nobody can actually go and develop the cars because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Ah there you go LOL I found the right word, "on hold" is a better way of describing it. The LC F project is on hold like the many other projects that were in development, but there is a chance that the project may be put down for good, so let's hope that's not the case and the car still pulls through after the dust settles from the pandemic. I just wanted to clarify that this car is not shelved so they can prioritize other "higher-priority projects" because a lot of those cars are probably on hold or are cancelled (be it indefinitely or forever) bar a few important cars.

I'll even find the quote from A70TTR who works at Toyota/Lexus with a lot of their future projects and I'll edit it here.

I feel better now!

 

[Md Shaikat]

am i the only one who thinks the 2020 model LS500 looks more elegant than the 2021 refresh?

 

[Sebass]

am i the only one who thinks the 2020 model LS500 looks more elegant than the 2021 refresh?

Hell no you aren't.