Lexus recently launched the LS Sedan in Australia and during a press conference, Chief Engineer, Toshio Asahi, confirmed that additional powertrains are on the table. Another unknown executive claimed that the hydrogen powertrain from the LF-LC Concept is heading to production “sooner than you think.” All big news from Toyota’s luxury arm, but what does it all mean?

Lexus LS with More Power

Before we go too far into speculation, Asahi also confirmed that Lexus is busy looking at how it can improve on the current hybrid powertrain that’s used in the LS. “Of course, we are considering how to improve the hybrid system, so in terms of power, we are looking how to improve that.”

As of now, the LS is offered with two drivetrains -- the twin-turbo, 3.5-liter V-6 with 415 horsepower on tap and the hybrid setup that delivers a total output of 354 horsepower. It’s the same engine, but it’s paired with an E-CVT and a four-speed automatic. That engine-motor setup is found in the LS500h and is good for a sprint to 62 mph in 5.7 seconds. How much Lexus can improve performance remains to be seen, but when you consider the fact that electric motors can be insanely potent in short bursts, there’s a lot of ground that can be made up here, if done right. In theory, it shouldn’t be hard for the hybrid to top the standard gas model in power. There must be some limitation, most likely the E-CVT or transmission that forces Lexus to limit the output of that 3.5-liter.

As for that hydrogen powertrain, that would be a big deal as the Lexus LS would be the first vehicle in this segment to run on hydrogen. There’s no word on what kind of power to expect from this setup as Lexus never released any performance figures of the LF-LC but you can expect it to deliver some serious power as Lexus must keep up with BMW, Mercedes, and Audi.

Final Thoughts

None of this is any surprise, especially the fact that Lexus is looking at how to improve performance from the current hybrid drivetrain. It’s not exactly underpowered by any means, but it could deliver so much more if it was done right. The hydrogen powertrain isn’t even that big of a surprise considering how big of a supporter of hydrogen Toyota is. With that said, I wouldn’t expect to see the LS get a new powertrain offering in the next year or two but considering the fifth-gen model just went on sale, a mid-cycle update would be a good time to introduce something new, don’t you think?

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Lexus LS.

Read our full review on the 2018 Lexus LS 500h.

Read more Lexus news.