Lexus’ Pursuit of Perfection reached a milestone today when the Lexus GS 350 EX was chosen as a finalist in the 2013 Wesbank South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year competition.
The new GS, which was introduced into the South African market exactly 5 months ago, joins 11 other vehicles in this prestigious competition which will culminate in the announcement of the new Car of the Year in March 2013.
“In the Lexus GS our corporate quantum leap finds its physical form. It represents a complete rethink of an executive sedan with far greater emphasis on driving dynamics, while retaining Lexus standards of interior opulence and overall build quality,” says Justin Ryan, General Manager: Lexus South Africa.
These redesigned elements have found favour with critics the world over. The interior features soft semi-aniline leather, a centrepiece milled from one piece of aluminium, wood grain finishes and the world’s largest electro multi-vision (EMV) screen at 12.3”. It was awarded the Interior Innovation Award at the recent 2012 global Automotive Interior Expo.
In similar fashion Lexus once again topped the US JD Powers rankings for build quality, giving it the most awards in this category over the past decade.
But the GS’s true genius will become evident during the Car of the Year test days. With a wider track, more direct steering, aurally engineered exhaust system, an automatic gearbox with paddle shifters and virtual immediate lock-up technology, vented disc brakes and generous use of aluminium the new GS is a dynamic revelation.
“The GS is the product of 1 million miles of on road testing. It is a job that engineers volunteered for because the new GS has become a truly rewarding drive,” says Ryan.
“In true Lexus style the GS also offers an unmatched list of luxury features as standard. The GS 250 offers features such as an intelligent climate control system, Lexus Premium Sound, electrically adjustable front seats and steering wheel and full high grade leather trim. This list just grows longer on the GS 350 and GS 450h models,” says Ryan.
The new Lexus GS will soon be joined by a entirely re-engineered LS range, set for South African introduction in Q1 2013.
