2023 Lexus LS gets Lexus Interface infotainment and more USBs
The 2023 Lexus LS is headed to dealers shortly, bringing one very important update as well as a few detail touch-ups. The headliner is the Lexus Interface infotainment system replacing the trackpad-based setup noted for being fiddly at best. Lexus Interface is the luxury brand’s version of the Toyota Audio Multimedia system that debuted at the end of 2021 before moving to the nicer part of town with its arrival in the refreshed Lexus NX last year. The high-res, anti-glare 12.3-inch touchscreen atop the instrument panel can be awakened with voice commands like “Hey Lexus.”
The detail revisions include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and more USB ports around the cabin — six in total. Sign up for a Drive Connect subscription and get cloud-based navigation with stress-relieving tech like live traffic and points-of-interest. The LS 500h alone comes with Lexus Teammate, the brand’s Level 2 autonomous driving system. Teammate’s Advanced Drive component will manage steering, braking, lane changes, traffic jams, and certain interchanges on limited-access highways, while Advanced Park can put the sedan into a chosen spot at the destination.
Engines and trims don’t change, but the steering, braking, 10-speed automatic, and suspension have been tweaked to provide an even more poised and compelling ride. The suspension’s front and rear anti-roll bars are “optimized” in a way that tamps body roll in corners, so we’ll guess the bars have been stiffened in some mysterious fashion. As for mills, every LS 500 is pulled along by a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 with 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The LS 500h uses a 3.5-liter V6 assisted by two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack, combined output coming to 354 hp. It’s not as quick as the twin-turbo V6, but it gets around 20% better fuel economy. Comparing AWD models to keep it like-for-like, the LS 500 AWD gets 17 miles per gallon in the city, 27 on the highway, and 21 combined. The LS 500h AWD returns 22 miles per gallon in the city, 29 on the highway, and 25 combined.
MSRPs are up a meager $285 over the 2022 figures. Sticker prices for the lineup after the $1,150 destination charge are:
LS 500: $78,685
LS 500 F Sport: $82,285
LS 500 AWD: $81,835
LS 500 F Sport AWD: $85,535
LS 500h AWD: $114,585
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