10 Things You Need to Know About the 2018 Lexus LC500h Hybrid

18lc500haltleadsessions ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Sharing the brand’s new Global Luxury architecture with the redesigned LS flagship sedan, the Lexus LC500 coupe rolls seductively into territory traditionally reserved for premium European brands. The “base” model equipped with its snarly 471-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 competes with the likes of the BMW 6 Series coupe, Mercedes-Benz SL convertible and S-Class coupe, Maserati Gran Turismo, and Porsche 911, to name a few.

But the svelte Lexus coupe goes one step further, offering a hybrid version dubbed the LC500h. At a base price of $97,505 including destination and delivery, it’s certainly way beyond a Prius.

1. It's got a huge, eye-catching grille.

As with all Lexus products, the most identifiable and some might say “in your face” feature of the LC500 is its visible-from-a-block-away grille. Then again, grabbing attention is what a swoopy and shapely personal luxury coupe is all about. But in the LC500’s case, it’s as if designers started with the large and intricately detailed spindle-shaped grille and then built the low and wide car around it.

From any angle, the sleek and muscular LC500 is a stunner that should draw many a curious neighbor to ogle its flanks in your driveway and pretty much guarantee front-row favored status among parking valets.

Photo by Ron Sessions

2. Of course the LC500 has a hybrid version.

It’s a point of pride that Lexus offers an environment-saving hybrid version of virtually all of its models. The LC500h combines the output of a 295-hp naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 similar to that used in Lexus' GS and RX hybrids and two electric drive motors for a system output of 354 hp. This 4,435-lb coupe receives a 26 mpg city/35 mpg highway/30 mpg combined EPA label along with a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds. That’s impressive considering that the 471-hp 5.0-liter V8-powered non-hybrid LC500 is only two tenths quicker to 60 mph and nets a much lower 16 mpg city/26 mpg highway/19 mpg combined EPA estimate.

The LC500h has a multi-stage design with power flow working through a continuously variable transmission combined with a four-speed planetary automatic. This approach results in a more natural step-shift feel than some models with a CVT. A 1.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack, sandwiched between the rear seats and the trunk, provides the electric energy source. The LC500h can operate at speeds up to 87 mph on electric power alone.

Photo by Ron Sessions

3. The door handles are concealed.

Another clue that the LC500 is a special kind of car is its concealed door handles. When the car is parked and when it’s in motion, the door handles are tucked in flush to the body sides. That gives it the kind of clean, uncluttered look often seen in custom and concept cars.

How do you get in? With the keyfob on your person, a light touch of the door handle causes it to pivot outward, at which point pulling the handle outward opens the door. The handle then retracts to the flush position once you start the car and start moving.

Photo by Ron Sessions

4. The cabin is impeccably fitted.

Opening a door grants access to one of the most gorgeously executed interiors on four wheels, whether it's draped in the test car’s Toasted Caramel hue or one of three other interior color schemes. An artful mix of buttery soft leather and Alcantara suede covers nearly every cabin surface. This includes the grand-touring-worthy front seats, which are as comfortable as they are supportive with torso-hugging seatback wings.

Among the LC’s many design touches, the contour of the hood line runs through the edges of the dash and arches down the sides of the door trim. All controls are within easy reach. The low seating position helps the center of gravity feel low, while the thin windshield pillars and relatively low hood deliver good sightlines for the driver. Handsome magnesium paddle shifters give the driver manual shift control for sporty or mountain driving.

Photo by Ron Sessions

5. The back seat is beyond tight.

There may be cushions, head restraints, and two seatbelts back there, but the rear seat area is for all practical purposes for appearances only, best suited for purses, well-secured tiny terriers, shopping bags, or dry cleaning. Due to the dramatically sloping rear glass, rear headroom is insufficient for adult habitation. And with the front seatbacks butted against the rear seat cushions, rear foot space is nonexistent.

The LC500 has 2+2 seating, which was common in European coupes of the 1950s and 1960s. This was a time before child safety seats and mandatory seatbelt use, when a child or small adult could climb back there and lie across both rear bottom cushions. So consider the LC500 a two-seater with extra interior storage to complement the small 4.7 cubic-foot trunk, not a four-seat vehicle.

Photo by Ron Sessions

6. It has a remote infotainment control touchpad.

One casualty of the lower dashtop and hood line is locating the infotainment display in a narrow band that sweeps horizontally across the dash. The information can get a bit washed out in bright sunlight, too. At 10.25 inches, the screen is a good size. But putting a touchscreen that far away would cause the driver to lean forward, so the LS500 uses a remote touchpad instead for infotainment functions.

The console-mounted location is right where your right hand wants it to be. But getting the knack of where to touch the crosshairs-style pad — especially in a moving car and bumpy roads — takes some practice. You must look at both the screen and touchpad to see if your hand movement accomplished the intended task. Mastering the infotainment control interface enables access to the excellent optional 13-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound stereo with 915 watts of Clari-Fi-enhanced listening enjoyment.

Photo by Ron Sessions

7. It offers selectable drive modes.

Twist the motorcycle-style selector knob straddling the right side of the instrument binnacle — inspired by the Lexus LFA supercar — to select between fuel-saving Eco, cruise-worthy Comfort, default Normal, performance-oriented Sport, or even more aggressive Sport+ drive modes. Rotate a similar knob on the left side of the gauges and you can disable traction control or enable Snow mode.

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8. It can be equipped with a pop-up rear spoiler.

A natty rear lift-reducing pop-up rear spoiler is part of a $5,960 Performance Package that also includes a carbon-fiber roof and door sills, active rear steering, variable-ratio steering, and even more Alcantara trim in the interior. Other aerodynamic aids include large ducts that feed air into both the front and rear wheel arches to enhance straight-line stability.

Photo by Ron Sessions

9. It's a satisfying car to drive.

Despite extensive use of aluminum and even composite materials such as carbon fiber, the 4,435-lb LC500h is no lightweight sports car. But it is a convincing grand tourer, with a solid structure and a planted, stable, and surefooted demeanor at speed. Regardless of the drive mode setting you choose, the LC500h remembers its mission as a premium luxury coupe, with its adjustable shocks taking the edge off broken and uneven pavement while tamping unwanted vertical body motions and keeping the car cool and composed.

The LC500h corners flat with little or no body roll in turns. Even without the optional variable-ratio steering, active rear steering, and 245/40R21 front and 275/35R21 rear summer performance run-flat tires, the standard 20-inch rubber is plenty meaty, and the base electric-boosted steering is precise enough to enable crisp responses, sharp turn-in and great poise overall. It may not make the hot-rod noises of the LC500 V8, but the hybrid version is also fun to drive.

Photo by Ron Sessions

10. There are lots of safety features.

As you’d expect from the Lexus flagship coupe, the LC500h comes with a pretty convincing array of advanced safety features, including a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and emergency braking, a lane-departure alert with steering assistance, automatic high beams, and all-speed dynamic cruise control. And intuitive park assist, blind-spot monitoring, and a rear cross-traffic alert are part of a $1,000 Convenience package.

But the sexy Lexus won’t drive itself, thank goodness — that would be kind of contrary to the point of this car and make it far less involving. Sitting as it does at the top of the hybrid-car food chain, the Lexus LC500h’s mission is a simple one: Premium performance with a save-the-planet nuance.

Photo by Ron Sessions