0-100kph in 7 seconds, 241 bhp, 258 lb ft torque and a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine mated to an 8 speed auto are the shape of things to come
Ladies and Gentlemen, we're just around the corner from the local launch of the Lexus GS 200t. I'm guessing it's probably on a big, big boat now, waiting for clearance and being checked to see its papers are in order. Gotta protect our borders from unwanted immigrants! Hehehe...
So what's the Lexus GS 200t all about? In preparation for its arrival, these are details we already know and which you might like to know:
Let's start with the looks:
On the front, the newly facelifted Lexus GS 200t wears a bigger rendition of the spindle grille, adding a menacing and infinitely sportier persona whilst shedding any evidence of a resemblance to the sedate looks first seen in 2012. Bigger airvents, sharper headlights and arrow-like daytime running lights complete its makeover, one Lexus anticipates will win it more fans.
Lexus has streamlined the rear, and incorporated exhaust chrome surrounds within the rear bumper, so it's more in keeping with the current generation Lexus. The rear lights too get a new 3-stripe L-finesse LED treatment, so it's 30% brighter than its predecessor. Bridging the two rear headlights, and just forming the lip of the boot, a slender chrome piping adds sophistication to its sporty intentions.
Personally, I like this a lot. Lexus needed to sharpen its image and relieve itself of its old drags. The Lexus GS, like Malcolm in the Middle, has always been that kid that didn't quite fit in and didn't know where it belonged. Not as big as the LS to earn the flagship title, not as small as the IS to be a compact executive saloon you can zip around town in or - you might argue - not as good a proposition as the ES. The GS needed a significant update to show its elder brother and younger sibling who's the real boss, who makes the family decisions. With this new iteration, the newly sculpted body drapes on the GS' mainframe like a chrome Italian suit on a mafia boss: One look and you know it's custom-made, tailored to perfection, and shows not an ounce of excess fat. Belissimo.
But it's this badge that hints where the biggest changes to the 2016 Lexus GS are to be found:
Yes, finally, Lexus has come round to accept that maybe the Germans were onto something. First seen on the Lexus NX, then the IS, the Lexus GS is the next to be propelled by the all-new 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. But don't mistake the nomenclature to imply the output is like an asthmatic 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine produced by the Germans, in what you might get with the Mercedes E 200 or BMW 520i.
The Lexus GS 200t produces 241 bhp and 258 lb ft of torque, so it's more in direct competition with an equivalent BMW 528i, which produces 240 bhp from the same turbocharged displacement. It's mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and the 0-100kph sprint is executed in a respectable 7 seconds flat. On the highway, it's expected to return 33mpg.
Inside, the Lexus GS 200t gets a new 3-spoke steering wheel. When I say new, I mean, it gets the same steering wheel as what you get on the existing RX, ES and IS ranges. So it's more updated in that sense, rather than being all new. The instrument binnacle gets a new 4.2 inch LCD screen, while the main display has grown to a full adult size 12.3 inches, with the latest generation of Lexus navigation and entertainment system.
The Lexus GS 200t also gets newly-contoured seats designed to promote the orthopaedically-approved posture over long distance driving, and is 15 per cent more comfortable than previous seats.
One thing I've always admired about Lexus is how they're always off doing their own things. There seems to be a distinct line drawn between how they do things, and how the rest of the world do it. Still, on this particular occasion, I'm glad Lexus has taken a leaf from the Germans. We can't run away from smaller, more fuel efficient and less polluting engines, and turbocharging is the responsible way forward where cars are headed into the future. Until we've figured out how to make electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles on a mass scale, Lexus has done the right thing. And it has come to play.
Cheers!
All Lexus
Ladies and Gentlemen, we're just around the corner from the local launch of the Lexus GS 200t. I'm guessing it's probably on a big, big boat now, waiting for clearance and being checked to see its papers are in order. Gotta protect our borders from unwanted immigrants! Hehehe...
So what's the Lexus GS 200t all about? In preparation for its arrival, these are details we already know and which you might like to know:
Let's start with the looks:
On the front, the newly facelifted Lexus GS 200t wears a bigger rendition of the spindle grille, adding a menacing and infinitely sportier persona whilst shedding any evidence of a resemblance to the sedate looks first seen in 2012. Bigger airvents, sharper headlights and arrow-like daytime running lights complete its makeover, one Lexus anticipates will win it more fans.
Lexus has streamlined the rear, and incorporated exhaust chrome surrounds within the rear bumper, so it's more in keeping with the current generation Lexus. The rear lights too get a new 3-stripe L-finesse LED treatment, so it's 30% brighter than its predecessor. Bridging the two rear headlights, and just forming the lip of the boot, a slender chrome piping adds sophistication to its sporty intentions.
Personally, I like this a lot. Lexus needed to sharpen its image and relieve itself of its old drags. The Lexus GS, like Malcolm in the Middle, has always been that kid that didn't quite fit in and didn't know where it belonged. Not as big as the LS to earn the flagship title, not as small as the IS to be a compact executive saloon you can zip around town in or - you might argue - not as good a proposition as the ES. The GS needed a significant update to show its elder brother and younger sibling who's the real boss, who makes the family decisions. With this new iteration, the newly sculpted body drapes on the GS' mainframe like a chrome Italian suit on a mafia boss: One look and you know it's custom-made, tailored to perfection, and shows not an ounce of excess fat. Belissimo.
But it's this badge that hints where the biggest changes to the 2016 Lexus GS are to be found:
Yes, finally, Lexus has come round to accept that maybe the Germans were onto something. First seen on the Lexus NX, then the IS, the Lexus GS is the next to be propelled by the all-new 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. But don't mistake the nomenclature to imply the output is like an asthmatic 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine produced by the Germans, in what you might get with the Mercedes E 200 or BMW 520i.
The Lexus GS 200t produces 241 bhp and 258 lb ft of torque, so it's more in direct competition with an equivalent BMW 528i, which produces 240 bhp from the same turbocharged displacement. It's mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and the 0-100kph sprint is executed in a respectable 7 seconds flat. On the highway, it's expected to return 33mpg.
Inside, the Lexus GS 200t gets a new 3-spoke steering wheel. When I say new, I mean, it gets the same steering wheel as what you get on the existing RX, ES and IS ranges. So it's more updated in that sense, rather than being all new. The instrument binnacle gets a new 4.2 inch LCD screen, while the main display has grown to a full adult size 12.3 inches, with the latest generation of Lexus navigation and entertainment system.
The Lexus GS 200t also gets newly-contoured seats designed to promote the orthopaedically-approved posture over long distance driving, and is 15 per cent more comfortable than previous seats.
One thing I've always admired about Lexus is how they're always off doing their own things. There seems to be a distinct line drawn between how they do things, and how the rest of the world do it. Still, on this particular occasion, I'm glad Lexus has taken a leaf from the Germans. We can't run away from smaller, more fuel efficient and less polluting engines, and turbocharging is the responsible way forward where cars are headed into the future. Until we've figured out how to make electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles on a mass scale, Lexus has done the right thing. And it has come to play.
Cheers!
All Lexus
No comments:
Post a Comment