Lexus is on a roll in India. The uber-premium luxury car manufacturer began operations in Mach 2017 and till date has launched five premium cars, with the most recent one being the LS 500h. It is the company's flagship sedan and has been launched in three variants, with prices starting from Rs. 1.77 crore for the Luxury variant, Rs. 1.82 crore for the Ultra Luxury variant and a whopping Rs. 1.93 crore for the Distinct variant. The company is ready to take the fight to its German rivals and is armed to the teeth with a tonne of features too and a hybrid engine too. Let's take a look at how the Lexus LS 500h fares against the likes of the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Lexus could just have a slight advantage as Audi and Mercedes-Benz will be launching the updated/new-gen models of the A8 and the S-Class this year in India. For the uninitiated, Audi has temporarily discontinued the A8 in India, as it will soon be launching the new-generation A8 soon.
Also Read: Lexus LS 500h launched In India; Prices Start At Rs. 1.77 Crore
(Lexus LS 500h)Well, with its spindle-like grille, sharp LED lamps and arrow-shaped DRLs, the LS 500h sure does have the best-looking face amidst the competition. The A8, 7-Series and the S-Class have had the familial faces for the longest time, which is why the LS 500h come as a fresh change. We mean, just look that the front end! It would surely draw a lot of attention on the roads too. The A8, 7-Series and the S-Class are all elegant and classy, sedately designed but the LS 500h will definitely stand out in this crowd as far as looks are concerned.
(Mercedes-Benz S-Class Facelift To Be Launched In India In February 2018)Starting with the newest kid on the block here, the Lexus LS 500h gets a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine which is combined with two electric motors, for a total output of 350 bhp of max power and peak torque of 300 Nm. Also, the engine comes mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with four gear ratios. The 0-100 kmph done in barely 5.4 seconds!
Also Read: New-Gen Audi A8 Spotted Testing In India
Coming to BMW 7-Series, the sedan gets a single diesel engine option which is a 3.0-litre engine making 261 bhp and 620 Nm. This particular model does the 0-100 kmph sprint in 6.2 seconds, almost a second later than the LS 500h. Then, there are three petrol engine options on the 7-Series, which are the 3.0-litre model, 4.4-litre model and the mental 6.5-litre model. The 3.0-litre petrol makes 322 bhp and 450 Nm of peak torque while the 4.4-litre model makes 443 bhp and 650 Nm. The 6.5-litre petrol variant makes a massive 600 bhp and 800 Nm of peak torque. All 7-Series sedans are mated to 8-speed automatic transmission units.
(2018 Audi A8)Rounding up with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the sedan gets three engine options, which are the 3.0-litre V6 diesel, making 255 bhp and 620 Nm with a 0-100 kmph sprint time of 6.8 seconds, having a 7-speed transmission. Then there is the 4.7-litre V8 petrol that makes 453 bhp and 700 Nm with a 9-speed transmission and finally, the AMG variant, which is a 5.5-litre V8 petrol which makes 585 bhp and 900 Nm and is mated to a 7-speed transmission.
Lastly, the remaining stock of the current generation A8 in India is offered in three engine options which are the 3.0-litre diesel, 4.2-litre diesel and the 4.0-litre petrol. The 3.0-litre diesel makes 247 bhp and 580 Nm. The 4.0-litre diesel engine churns out 380 bhp and 850 Nm of peak torque. Lastly, the 4.0-litre petrol pumps out 429 bhp and 600 Nm of peak torque. All the A8 models are paired to 8-speed automatic transmission units. Phew!! That is a lot of data.
(2017 BMW 7-Series)As we mentioned earlier, that the prices of the Lexus LS 500h start at Rs. 1.77 crore and go up to Rs. 1.93 crore. Similarly, the prices for the Audi A8 start at Rs. 1.17 crore and go up to Rs. 1.5 crore. Coming to the BMW 7-Series, the prices begin at Rs. 1.16 crore and go up to a whopping Rs. 2.38 crore and finally, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class! The prices for the S-Class begin at Rs. 1.21 crore and go up to a massive Rs. 2.62 crore for the S 63 AMG model, making it by far the most expensive model in this segment.
We cannot wait to actually get the cars together and conduct a proper road test of the ultra-luxury available in India. It might take some time as we wait for Audi and Mercedes-Benz to launch the updated versions of the A8 and the S-Class.
