Officially joining the...

Officially joining the UK line-up on 1st October, the dual petrol and electric powered luxury saloon is in demand. Lexus claims buyers who haven’t ordered yet won’t take delivery until the spring, with 230 buyers already having placed advance deposits for the Mercedes S-Class rival.

The early demand is impressive given the hefty price tags worn by the luxury Lexus. Entry level LS 600h models are priced at ?81,400, while the range topping ?88,000 long wheel base LS 600h L with Rear Seat Relaxation Package (pictured) has accounted for 60 per cent of sales.

The big all-wheel drive Lexus features a 5.0-litre V8 petrol powerplant as well as a high output electric motor. This allows it to sprint from 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds while still returning 30.4mpg in the combined cycle. Carbon dioxide emissions are 219g/km.

For now the LS 600h has the luxury hybrid market to itself, but it will gain a new rival in 2010. That’s when Mercedes plans to launch its own S-Class hybrid.