The Lexus LS is the flagship luxury sedan from Toyota's luxury arm. The LS has always been looked at as a cheaper, softer alternative to cars like the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8. The German cars were always more focused on being dynamic to drive, whereas the Lexus was more of a sofa on wheels. This all changed when Lexus introduced new F-Sport models that took aim at the sportier Germans. Lexus has also been able to maintain a price advantage that the new LS500 still upholds.

Lexus revealed the new, twin-turbocharged LS500 at the Detroit Auto Show, then showed off the hybrid LS500h at Geneva. Even though these cars were revealed in full, Lexus did not announce pricing. According to Automotive News, the new LS500 will start at around $76,000. This starting price is up from the $73,515 of the outgoing LS460. Even though the LS500 has gone up in price from its predecessor, it is still less expensive than the German competition. The LS undercuts the BMW 7 Series, (which starts at $81,500), the Mercedes S-Class (which starts at $96,600), and the all-new 2018 Audi A8 (which will be around $103,000).

The base LS500 is powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 416 hp. This is mated to a 10-speed automatic that is shared with the LC500. The hybrid model will likely be a bit more expensive, and come with a 3.5-liter V6 with an electric motor that combine to produce 354 hp. We also have high hopes for an LS F model, that will come with a newly developed 600-hp twin-turbo V6. That should give models like the S63 AMG and S8 something to worry about.