By Daryl Lee

ON JANUARY 26, Borneo Motors, the exclusive distributor for Lexus cars here officially unveiled the face-lifted LS Hybrid luxury sedan at the One°15 Marina Club in Sentosa.

Also known as the ‘LS 600h L’ here, the LS Hybrid will take pride of place at the top of Lexus’ product line-up here, and is the priciest Lexus you can buy at a starting price of $394,000 with COE. Deliveries have already begun, and at that price range, its rivals include Audi’s A8 L 4.2, BMW’s 750i and the Mercedes-Benz S 500 L, with the Lexus being the only hybrid in this category of large luxury limousines.

It boasts a 5.0-litre V8 engine supplemented with an electric motor, one which the Japanese automaker dubs ‘Lexus Hybrid Drive’, endowing the large limousine with what Lexus claims has the ‘power of a 6.0-litre V12’ with the ‘low emission of a 3.0-litre V6’. Together, both motors make up to 438bhp and a maximum torque of 520Nm.

It will be able to run in full electric mode for short distances and has a claimed fuel consumption rating of around 10.7km/L. Not bad, when you consider that the 5.15m-long car weighs 2,320kg and even has four-wheel drive.

Despite the size and weight, it’s still blisteringly quick. It’ll reach a top speed of 250km/h and will do 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds.

Luxury and refinement, though, will be the key consideration. With four-zone independent climate control, a Mark Levinson 5.1 surround sound system, a nine-inch ceiling-mounted LCD screen for rear passengers and a self-parking feature, it shouldn’t disappoint. An ‘Ottoman’ massage seat is also an available option.