Lexus says it is recreating the luxury and comfort of an executive jet within its new flagship the LM 500h Ultra Luxury MPV.
The LM 500h Ultra Luxury is powered by a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine offering more than 202kW and all-wheel drive.
It is priced from $220,888.
The LM offers a chauffeured luxury experience for its two rear-cabin occupants with a suite of tech-centric personalised comfort features – as well as lie-flat, sculptured leather-accented seats – to offer a level of indulgence and refinement normally experienced at 35,000 feet says the brand.
The brand says that all aspects of the LM are tailored to provide the best rear-seat travel experience possible on four wheels, showcasing Lexus Takumi craftsmanship and omotenashi hospitality.
Lexus Australia chief executive John Pappas says the new flagship changes the way discerning customers approach personalised travel.
“The LM 500h Ultra Luxury redefines luxury mobility,” Pappas says.
“The thoughtful appointments, Takumi craftsmanship and serene cabin make the LM the new benchmark for personalised chauffeured travel.”
With only two captain’s chairs in the rear, occupants are granted a huge amount of room, with 1018mm between the occupant’s hip point and the front partition which can be closed at the touch of a button for full privacy.
The leather-accented rear seats can slide forward and backward by 480mm, with the seat backs reclining up to 63 degrees and the ottoman extending to provide a fully flat seat experience. Just like an aeroplane seat, the seat may be returned to the upright position at the push of a single button.
Comfort is further enhanced with seat heating extending to the armrests and ottoman, seat ventilation and seat massaging offering a choice of programs and pressure levels tailored to suit each occupant.
Independent temperature control adjusts the climate control for each occupant, further refined with the targeted adjustment function which uses a warmth-sensing infrared ray matrix sensor in the rear seats to determine the temperature of specific body areas (for example; face, chest, upper leg, lower leg) and adjusts the various climate functions accordingly to provide the ideal cabin temperature.
A large-capacity refrigerator integrated into the partition keeps drinks cool and is powered by a low-noise compressor to maintain cabin quietness.
The LM 500h Ultra Luxury’s cabin may transition to a place to conduct business with tables integrated into the outer armrests, for resting a notebook or laptop.
A glovebox in front of each rear seat provides integrated storage options, along with two small item storage compartments in the centre console. A wireless phone charger and two USB-C connecting ports offer different charging options.
A 48-inch widescreen, the largest offered yet on a vehicle in Australia, creates a mobile cinema experience when watching movies. It may also be configured as an interactive screen for business meetings on the go. The screen may operate as a single widescreen, a standard aspect ratio screen, or split into two separate screens with integrated headphone auxiliary inputs offering each occupant their own personalised audio-visual experience.
Disconnect the headphones and a 23-speaker Mark Levinson Reference 3D Surround Sound System offers unrivalled acoustics to transform the rear cabin into a concert hall with truly remarkable high-fidelity sound reproduction.
All seat, media and cabin functions are operated through individual touchscreen tablets conveniently placed at the end of the rear console armrest of each chair.
Occupants may control natural light levels by adjusting the sunshades on the individual left and right glass panels mounted in the roof, sliding door glass and rear quarter glass.
Ambient cabin lighting can also be set in 64 different mood colours, while stylish shadowy illumination geometric patterns are projected in the rear footwells, yet another way Lexus makes luxury personal.
Takumi craftsmanship is showcased in the overhead console, trimmed with fine 3D-printed ornamentation that houses the reading lamps and vanity mirrors. Additionally, the rear cabin features an integrated umbrella stand next to the sliding doors.
The LM’s mechanical elements are tuned with rear-seat occupants’ comfort foremost in mind. The sophisticated adaptive suspension system and braking parameters, for example, are set to minimise pitch and roll when accelerating, braking and cornering to provide a serene and stable environment.
Extensive sound-suppressing measures ensure occupants are quietly cocooned from tyre, wind and other outside noise, with engineers focussing on three key areas: minimising the noise at the source, preventing noise from entering the cabin, and reducing noise inside the cabin.
Rear seat ingress and egress are made easy with the help of grab handles and exterior steps which stow away into the vehicle when not in use.
