Lexus GS Hybrid 450h Luxury 3.5 Review: Electric dream

What we like:

Generous equipment levels even for the base model. Petrol + electric motor performance is simply amazing.

What we dislike:

Toyota switchgear is still present (!). The reversing sensor beeps like a Corolla Altis'.

The hybrid system sends its grunt to the rear wheels via a 6-speed CVT ‘box. It’s a really smooth and efficient unit, delivering a seamless and uninterrupted power flow to the wheels. And it even offers a “+/-“ manual-selection mode.

Like the GS300, the GS450h comes with AVS (Advanced Variable Suspension). AVS allows the driver to adjust the car’s ride characteristics with two damper settings – Normal or Sport. The Sport mode offers better handling and body control through different suspension and steering settings. Out on the road, you can certainly feel the GS450h’s slightly busier ride in Sport mode. While the ride in Normal is relatively serene, you can definitely feel some road bumps in Sport. But come to think of it, that is a small trade-off to pay for the increased dynamism in Sport mode.

When set to this position, you can feel the steering weigh up a tad, as the suspension also stiffening up to offer better body control - as a result, the GS turns in sharper and more convincingly. Sport mode actually offers a fine compromise between ride and handling - well it doesn’t ride as stiffly as a BMW, and the handling is very much improved.

With the electric motors developing maximum torque once they are activated, the hybrid GS can suffer from some wheel spin when taking off from stand still on wet surfaces. Thankfully, traction control and an electronic stability program are standard features.

If you’re someone who is not convinced by hybrid technology, then the GS450h could well be the model to change your mind. While eco hybrids like the Prius and the Civic Hybrid serve their purposes in their own right, Lexus’ hybrids offer not only fuel economy, but performance as well.

With models like the GS450h, who can dare say that hybrids are plain boring and mundane? It also proves that performance doesn’t necessarily come at the expense of fuel consumption...

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai, pictures by Azfar Hashim