2013 Lexus LS: UK gets LS 460 & LS F-Sport too

The 2013 Lexus LS has been revealed with a raft of changes and the addition for the UK of the petrol LS 460 and the new F Sport option.

The 2013 Lexus LS has managed to arrive in bits and pieces, from the original LS tease through a single photo of the new LS when the official Lexus photos started to leak and then a full-on leak of a raft of LS photos a few days ago. But now we get the official reveal.

Just as we already knew, the 2013 LS isn’t an all new LS, but it is a thorough overhaul of the LS range with both cosmetic and mechanical updates that should see the LS through a few more years yet.

Cosmetically, the 2013 LS gets the new Lexus face with its spindle grill and some new LED lights front and back and the new F Sport option adds a more aggressive bodykit, more elaborate grill and revised air intakes at the front. Oh, and some posh alloys.

The F Sport – which is based on the new to the UK LS 460 – also gets a lowered ride height, 6-pot Brembos and flappy paddles. It also has a throttle blip on downshifts and a limited slip diff. What we don’t yet know is if Lexus are going to give the F Sport more power than the regular LS 460.

The new LS 460 sees the UK finally get and LS that isn’t a hybrid, with the 4.6 litre V8. The current LS 460 in the rest of the world has a power output of 380bhp and we assume the UK will get something similar in the new LS, but Lexus are remaining tight-lipped about the power and economy figures for now.

But whatever level of power Lexus will offer on the LS 460, LS 600h and F Sport, it does look like they’re getting more interested in driver involvement with the latest LS.

There’s a revised Adaptive Variable Suspension setup to suppress roll and pitch and the addition on the LS of selectable driving modes – Eco, Comfort,Normal, Sport S and Sport S+ – and the steering has been revised for better accuracy and turn-in and the brakes for more power and better feel.

Inside the new LS Lexus has fitted the new Lexus Climate Concierge system which uses 13 sensors round the cabin to control the temperature of the seats and steering wheel as well as the ambient temperature of the cabin. There’s and Advanced Illumination System with soft white interior lights and dynamic instrument lighting and a huge 12.3″ multimedia display.

The new LS 460, LS F Sport and LS 600h will go on sale in the UK later in the year, and although Lexus has not yet released price detail for the 2013 LS it seems likely the new LS 460 could be as much as £30k lower than the current entry-level LS, which costs a slightly eye-watering £90k.