2013 Lexus GS 450h Overview Change Vehicle

This 2013 Lexus GS 450h review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2013 Lexus GS 450h, and includes Lexus GS 450h safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

For 2013, Lexus has redesigned its mid-luxury hybrid sedan, the GS 450h. In doing so, the company doesn’t stray from the original formula in that the new GS 450h looks very much like the standard GS, and, like the previous GS 450h, is equipped with a hybrid powertrain that simultaneously provides more power and performance at the same time that it delivers lower emissions and higher fuel economy. Primary competitors include the upcoming hybrid versions of the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series, as well as the Infiniti M35h.

When the redesigned 2013 GS 450h goes on sale in the spring of 2012, Lexus hopes that buyers discover more emotional design, improved driving dynamics, advanced technology levels, increased passenger comfort, and greater cargo room compared to the previous model.

The 2013 Lexus GS 450h is sold in a single level of specification that can be upgraded with a Luxury Package and several extra-cost options. Primary distinguishing elements include blue Hybrid badges, three-lamp LED headlights arrayed in a single horizontal row, and hidden exhaust outlets at the rear of the car, in addition to bamboo wood interior trim and a hybrid systems monitor.

Beyond these few cosmetic modifications, the new GS 450h is equipped like a GS 350 with the optional Premium and Cold Weather Packages. That means it comes with leather seats, a power tilt-and-telescopic heated steering wheel, a power moonroof, a power rear window sunshade, SmartAccess keyless entry and push-button ignition, and Safety Connect telematics service with Automatic Crash Notification, which engages if the airbags deploy to help speed rescue to the GS 450h’s exact location.

A unique S-Flow automatic climate control system uses occupant detection technology to direct airflow to locations where people are actually sitting, helping to incrementally improve fuel economy. The GS 450h is also equipped with 10-way power heated and ventilated front seats with memory for the driver’s settings, ambient cabin lighting, and Bluetooth hands-free connectivity with music streaming and SMS text-to-speech capability. The standard 12-speaker surround sound audio system is equipped with numerous ways to access and listen to music: auxiliary audio input jack, iPod/USB port, satellite radio, HD Radio, DVD audio/video playback, MP3/WMA playback, a CD changer, and Gracenotes voice recognition media management service. You can even use iTunes song tagging capability to make it easier to download new music once you arrive home.

Additionally, the GS 450h is outfitted to help ensure you get home safely. It comes with rain-sensing wipers, headlight washers, a wiper deicer, water-repellant front windows, and an Adaptive Front Lighting system that helps the driver to see around dark corners at night. The whole package rides on 17-inch alloy wheels bolted to an Adaptive Variable Suspension system.

As impressive as this load of equipment sounds, the Lexus GS 450h can be upgraded even more with an optional Luxury Package. So equipped, the GS 450h is swathed in semi-aniline leather coating 18-way multi-contour power front seats with butterfly headrests and memory for the front passenger’s settings. The standard Bamboo wood trim is swapped out for high-gloss espresso wood, and rear seat occupants benefit from rear climate and audio controls, and manual rear side window sunshades. Models equipped with the Luxury Package ride on 18-inch aluminum wheels.

A navigation system is also available, bundled with a 12.3-inch high-resolution display with split-screen viewing. Lexus Enform telematics and satellite traffic, weather, finance and sports reports are also included, along with the ability to stream Internet radio, search for information using Bing, and access voice-enabled applications for Facebook and others.

Audiophiles will want to upgrade to the 835-watt Mark Levinson 7.1 Surround Sound audio system with 17 Green Edge speakers. Additional options include heated rear seats, split-spoke 18-inch wheels with summer performance tires, a heads up display, and an Intuitive Park Assist feature that can slot the GS 450h into a parallel parking space while you do nothing but operate the brake and gas pedals, and shift gears.

Several safety-related options are also available on the GS 450h, including a Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, a Night Vision System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a Pre-Collision System with Driver’s Eyes Monitor.

A second-generation Lexus Hybrid Drive system is installed in the new 2013 GS 450h, employing an Atkinson-cycle 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a water-cooled permanent magnet electric motor powered by a 650-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Power and Snow modes transfers power to the GS 450h’s rear wheels, and regenerative brakes are responsible for recharging the car’s battery pack.

Combined power output measures 338 horsepower – 32 more ponies than the GS 350. Lexus claims the GS 450h will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, a tick quicker than the GS 350, and attain a top speed of 131 mph. At the same time, the GS 450h is preliminarily rated to get 29 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway while burning premium fuel, and Lexus expects its new mid-luxury hybrid to achieve Super-Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) status.

A full hybrid, meaning that it can operate a lower speeds on electricity from the battery without help from the gas V6 engine, the 2013 Lexus GS 450h comes standard with Drive Mode Select technology. Drive Mode Select allows the driver to tailor throttle response, shift mapping, suspension tuning, steering settings, and the stability control system to one of five different settings: Normal, Eco, Sport S, Sport S+, or EV. In EV mode, the GS 450h operates solely on electric power under the proper conditions. Eco mode aims to maximize fuel economy, Sport S mode provides improved acceleration and transmission response, Sport S+ attempts to turn the GS450h into a sport sedan.

If the Lexus GS 450h’s long list of standard and optional safety equipment is any indication, this is one luxury car that ought to do a very good job of protecting its passengers in a crash.

The comprehensive standard safety package includes 10 airbags, Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management with traction and stability control, four-wheel vented-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and new Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) front seats. One free year of Safety Connect telematics service with Automatic Crash Notification and an Emergency Assist Button is also included with every GS 450h, along with rain-sensing wipers and an Adaptive Front Lighting System that helps the driver to see around corners after dark.

In addition to these standard items, the GS 450h can be equipped with extras like a Blind Spot Monitor, and Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure Warning system, and a Night Vision System. The GS is also available with an Adaptive Cruise Control system with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) that emits audible and visual warnings if the cruise control radar units determine that a collision is about to occur.

Beyond this, for 2013 the PCS also uses new infrared camera technology to monitor the driver’s eyes and, if the driver is not paying attention when a potential collision is about to occur, the system emits its audible and visual warnings earlier than it might otherwise. If the driver does not respond to the warnings, the PCS automatically brakes the GS before impact to reduce the severity of the collision.

Unfortunately, as we publish this initial report about the new GS 450h, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have performed crash tests to assess how well its redesigned structure performs in impacts. Likewise, reliability predictions are unavailable from Consumer Reports.

If you like the GS 450h’s styling, you’ll probably like what’s in store for other Lexus models in the future. Designers claim to have drawn inspiration from the Lexus LFA while penning the new GS, and the company says the GS’s spindle-style grille is going to define the Lexus models of tomorrow.

With the redesigned GS, Lexus has introduced new paint techniques to help the car stand apart in a crowd. The new Riviera Red paint is infused with tiny glass flakes so that it radiates color, while the new Liquid Platinum paint has an additional metallic texture to it that Lexus claims gives it depth and a highly polished appearance.

One thing Lexus wanted to do with this new GS 450h is improve trunk space. By reconfiguring the battery pack, this hybrid now provides 13.2 cubic-feet of cargo volume, significantly more than before. Interior space is also bigger, especially in the back seat where improvements have been made in terms of head, leg, knee, and foot room.

The 2013 Lexus GS 450h weighs 4,190 pounds, distributed 51/49 between the front and rear wheels, and its coefficient of drag is quite low at 0.26.

The first Lexus GS 450h was not very popular, but that might simply be because it was ahead of its time. With new fuel economy mandates going into effect and other luxury automakers adding mid-level hybrids to their lineups, perhaps the more dynamically designed 2013 Lexus GS 450h will capture additional attention and garner greater success.

-- By Christian Wardlaw