2021 Lexus LS Gets Touchscreen, Minor Price Bump
Starting price only $550 more than the current model.
The Lexus LS has always been the luxe Japanese brand’s flagship vehicle. Lexus prides itself on its philosophy of Omotenashi, anticipatory hospitality and Takumi, craftsmanship and its LS full-size luxury sedan is the prime example. But the luxury land-yacht had a few chinks in its hospitality armor which the brand has addressed for the 2021 refresh.
A chief gripe with the LS was always the trackpad only infotainment system. But with the 2021 LS, Lexus has set things right. It finally comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard. The trackpad still resides in the center console but is now thankfully mostly redundant. Apart from that, the changes are subtle and more felt than observed.
SEE ALSO: 2021 Lexus LC Convertible Review: A Future ClassicLexus will introduce Palomino leather upholstery with the 2021 LS. It has also reworked the seat, armrest, and center armrest cushioning to increase the comfort levels. Plus, updated springs now reside inside the front seats which now get thicker cushioning. Other changes include black accents on the steering wheel and other controls. Speaking of, heated seats and steering wheel controls move to the center console as well.
Lexus has also reworked the suspension for a more comfortable ride. If you want to get into details, the 2021 Lexus LS gets re-tuned spring and damper rates along with optimized front and rear anti-roll bars. Lexus has also installed bigger liquid-filled bushings for an even smoother ride. Finally, the height-adjustable air suspension now makes for easier ingress and egress.
Powertrains carry over as is, there is no change in output from the 3.5-liter V6. The 10-speed transmission, however, has been recalibrated to keep the engine in a more responsive area of the power band. Lexus also stated that it has also tweaked the “battery strategy” on its hybrid models to aid better acceleration.
Changes to the exterior are subtle. The front bumper is slightly reworked and the front spindle grille now gets a dark metallic finish. Lastly, the adaptive high-beam lamps from the RX SUV make their way to the LS.
Prices for the LS 500 start from $77,025 for the RWD while the AWD is only $350 more. The F Sport RWD starts from $80,625 while the AWD will set you back by $83,875. Prices for the LS 500h will only be available near the launch date in early 2021.
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