The New Lexus LS430: The Advance To Automotive Perfection

Key points

• New Lexus LS430 design concept gives a smoother exterior profile and supreme aerodynamic performance
• On sale in the UK from 1 November
• Single model range with all-embracing luxury specification
• Enhancements to performance, comfort and safety
• 4.3-litre V8 engine combined with new Super ECT-i six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift mode delivers stronger performance and improved fuel consumption
• Driving dynamics and smoother ride delivered by refinements to the air suspension and chassis
• 10 SRS airbags, including European-first driver and passenger knee airbags
• Advanced technology features, including AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) headlights, Lexus rear view camera, power door closing, Bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition functions
• DVD-based Lexus Navigator system with touch-screen activation and Electronic Traffic Avoidance (ETA)
• Strong cost of ownership profile compared to all key market rivals
• On the road price £56,850
• Insurance group 17E

THE NEW LEXUS LS430

The new Lexus LS430, the third generation of Lexus’s flagship, represents an important step closer to the goal of every luxury car manufacturer; automotive perfection. This is not an idle boast, the new LS430 builds on Lexus’s experience of more than a decade as a luxury market leader by achieving even greater levels of quality, performance, safety and refinement and integrating advanced technology that is both effective and simple to use.

Continuous improvement has always been at the heart of Lexus’s operations and that principle was fully embraced in the strategy to create the new LS430. The design team identified three key factors: more stylish exterior design; perceptible changes to the driving performance; and the adoption of more advanced technology features. In all these respects, the new LS430 succeeds in moving the industry benchmark even higher.

On sale in the UK from 1 November, the LS430 is presented as a single model range with a comprehensive specification that raises the luxury segment standards in comfort, convenience, refined performance and safety. The on the road price is £56,850, sustaining the Lexus LS430’s reputation as the best value for money car in its class. That status is further reinforced by Lexus’s unmatched levels of customer service and satisfaction, as witnessed by three successive J.D. Power and Associates Gold Awards.

REFINING DESIGN

The exterior design is a dynamic evolution of the LS430’s established shape, expressed most strongly in changes to the shape of the bonnet, the new front grille and the adoption of the new AFS headlamp units. The overall effect is to give the car a lower and wider front-end appearance and more muscular bonnet profile.

Some of the most important changes are actually hard to detect with the human eye. More precise body stamping accuracy has been achieved and this combines with smoother bodywork and underfloor profiling and flush glazing to achieve an impressive coefficient of drag (Cd) of 0.25 – among the lowest of any luxury car. For the motorist, this quality is reflected in the almost complete elimination of wind noise and greater stability in high speed driving.

The LS430’s flanks feature a smooth combination of curves and straight lines and are distinguished by new five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, perfectly in proportion with the car’s dimensions. At the back there is a new rear trim design which carries through the wider and lower themes of the front. The three-stage rear lamps now use LED units; these react faster than conventional lamps and so improve safety. A final flourish is provided by the twin exhausts, the tailpipes now moved into view on either side, beneath the bumper section.

POWERTRAIN WITH NEW SIX-SPEED TRANSMISSION

Driving dynamics and performance have been further improved. The latest powertrain technology delivers improved fuel consumption and low emissions. The double overhead camshaft, 32-valve, 4.3-litre V8 engine develops 278bhp at 5,600rpm and 417Nm of torque at 3,500rpm. It can power the Lexus from rest to 62mph in 6.3 seconds – 0.4 seconds faster than the previous model – yet already complies with the stringent Euro IV emissions standards, due to come into force in 2005.

One of the most significant features of the LS430 is the new Super ECT-i, an electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift mode, equipped with gear ratios that are both closer and cover a wider range than before. The transmission also uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmes that learn a driver’s style and match revs and gear change patterns accordingly. A link between the computerised engine management system and the transmission allows for a momentary reduction in torque to render gear changes almost imperceptible.

AIR SUSPENSION AS STANDARD

The standard-fit electronically modulated air suspension uses nine different adaptive programmes and produces world-leading stability and ride quality. The car’s 53:47 front to rear weight ratio and the development of the suspension have produced an exceptional ride and driving dynamics that are well-suited to European conditions.

Mono-tube shock absorbers have been employed for the first time in LS430, using oil and high pressure gas as damping mediums. Their quality helps ensure natural, linear responses to steering input, optimum grip and a flat, composed ride.

PEERLESS INTERIOR QUALITY AND COMFORT

In the cabin, Lexus engineers have gone beyond even the quality of the previous generation LS430 to deliver the finest fit and finish. Their craftsmanship has reduced the tolerance level for interior fittings to one millimetre, a degree of precision previously considered unattainable. The comfort of driver and passengers is assured by the climate control seats, fitted as standard. Blowers mounted in the seat can direct cool air through the upholstery, while fast-acting carbon heating elements can provide warmth on demand. Outer rear seats with a soothing vibro-massage function are also provided as standard.

EUROPEAN-FIRST DOUBLE KNEE AIRBAG

The LS430 breaks new ground in its level of safety provision with a complement of 10 airbags featuring the latest Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) technology. These include the first European driver and passenger double knee airbag, which deploys from the underside of the instrument panel at the same time as the front airbags to reduce injuries from contact with the steering column and lower dashboard structures.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES IN ALL AREAS

There is a wealth of advanced technology features, which add in equal measure to the LS430’s driving dynamics, efficiency, safety and comfort. A key priority in their development has been to surpass anything offered by the competition, while keeping them simple and logical for the customer to operate.

Adaptive Front-Lighting System

The Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) substantially improves night time visibility by controlling the lighting direction of each headlamp in line with steering input and the speed of the vehicle. Lighting performance is also enhanced by the use of high intensity discharge headlamps with automatic levelling and integral cleaning system.

Lexus rear view camera

Parking manoeuvres are rendered simpler and safer with the introduction of the Lexus rear view camera. This projects an image onto the LS430’s dashboard display screen and provides visible guidelines for accurate steering into parking spaces. The same seven-inch screen displays information from the satellite navigation system.

Voice recognition and BluetoothTM

There is less need for the driver to take his or her attention off the road, as the new LS430 uses voice recognition technology that responds to around 300 different commands for the navigation, audio and air conditioning systems. Bluetooth technology allows the cable-free use of mobile telephones and personal data equipment.

Lexus Navigator satellite navigation with Electronic Traffic Avoidance

The LS430 is equipped with the touch-screen DVD-based Lexus Navigator system with full mapping and Electronic Traffic Avoidance (ETA) to provide intelligent route planning that continuously monitors traffic conditions.

With ETA, live traffic information is automatically fed into the navigation system enabling the car not only to warn the driver of a traffic problem ahead on a pre-programmed route, but also to plot a way around the congestion.

LEADING THE LUXURY MARKET IN QUALITY AND VALUE

Automotive perfection does not come at a prohibitive price. The new Lexus LS430 may boast unprecedented refinement, finish and ultra-low NVH levels, but its superiority is not reflected in higher prices than its less accomplished premium market competitors.

In fact the new LS430 is more competitively priced than all its key rivals when its comprehensive standard specification is taken into account. Lining up against the Jaguar XJ 4.2, Mercedes-Benz S430, Audi A8 4.2 quattro and BMW 7 Series, the Lexus is up to £11,300 better value.

As is typical of Lexus, the LS430 enjoys an unmatched package of safety and convenience features, some of which are not offered, even as an extra-cost option, by key market rivals.

For example, only the Jaguar XJ can offer rear seat audio controls but they come with a £350 price tag. Adaptive headlights, standard on the Lexus, are not available on Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz models and the £405 optional system on the BMW is range sensitive only. Mercedes-Benz can provide air conditioning controls for rear seat passenger and a built-in rear seat cool box, but both will cost the customer extra. Touch-screen operation of the satellite navigation system is another special feature of the LS430, a system only Jaguar can offer as a £2,000 option.

None of the prestige marques can provide the intelligent front air vents and the Electronic Traffic Avoidance system that feature as standard on the LS430.

The cost of ownership benefits of the new Lexus LS430 are not confined just to the sale price. Compared to the same key competitor models, front and rear crash replacement parts for the LS430 are substantially cheaper, but with no compromise on quality or durability. For example, parts required for a Jaguar XJ after a similar rear end collision would cost 42 per cent more than the Lexus. This has helped the LS430 to achieve its 17E insurance grouping.

The LS430 requires a full service only every 20,000 miles and will require a health check, taking less than an hour to complete, every 10,000 miles or once a year. Special iridium-tipped spark plugs are fitted that only require replacement every 60,000 miles and the timing belt will require replacement only every 90,000 miles.

Full details of the cost comparisons are given in the two tables below.

NEW LEXUS LS430: SPECIFICATION ADJUSTED PRICING vs KEY MARKET RIVALS

Information correct August 2003

NEW LEXUS LS430: CRASH REPLACEMENT PARTS PRICING vs KEY MARKET RIVALS

LS430 EQUIPMENT LIST

LS430 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ENDS