Lexus GS replacement to get hydrogen-electric power
With Lexus quietly retiring the GS late last year, leaked information suggests its replacement could be hydrogen-electric.
Lexus may replace the GS with a new model powered by hydrogen.
Revealed in a now-deleted Instagram post featuring a leaked product plan, Lexus is said to be planning a hydrogen-powered sedan based on the Toyota Mirai to fill the hole in its line-up left by the GS sedan – though it's unclear whether the new model will be badged as a GS, or something else entirely.
The Toyota Mirai is built on the same production line as the Toyota Crown – one of the company's more luxurious vehicles offered in Japan and parts of Asia – which has traditionally shared its underpinnings with the Lexus GS.
The Mirai is powered by a 134kW/300Nm electric motor on the rear axle, with 5.6kg of hydrogen storage feeding a 1.2kWh lithium-ion battery via a 128kW fuel cell. It can hit 100km/h from a standstill in 9.2 seconds, and has a claimed range of 650km on the WLTP test.
Toyota brought in a small number of Mirai sedans to Australia earlier this year to coincide with Victoria's first hydrogen production and refueling facility, located at the company's facility in Melbourne's west.
Lexus ended production of the previous mid-tier GS in August 2020 with no confirmation of a replacement, but the leaked product plan suggests its Mirai-based replacement could arrive in 2022 – meaning we might begin to see teaser images and spy shots in the coming months.