Lexus LS 2007-2017 design & styling

Translating the GS’s swooping curves and IS’s aggressive flanks on to a car measuring over five metres in length was always going to be difficult but, for the most part, Lexus has achieved it. Although it is not as elegantly proportioned as an Audi A8 or as arresting as a Merc Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the LS now looks much more than a generic big saloon and has the same contemporary design language as the IS.

The LS has been treated a couple of facelifts over its 28 year lifespan, with the biggest carried out in 2013 which saw no less than 3000 changes made to Lexus's biggest saloon. Drastic changes were made to the exterior to give the sharp looks of its siblings, while the interior was overhauled, revised climate control system and structural strengthening.

Front passengers are likely to get rear seat envy. The stereo, especially when playing DVDs, is at its most effective in the rear

Matt Saunders

Road test editor

Perhaps still a touch bulbous from some angles, the overall shape successfully treads the line between obscurity and presence. The body is impressively slippery (0.26 Cd), painted beautifully and built with consistently tight panel gaps.

This car is jammed with technology, similar to most in this segment, but the big Lexus is lagging behind the tech-fests found inside the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.