car news

Larger display for Lexus LC

For the 2024 model year, the Lexus LC gets a new multimedia system with a larger screen. The 10-inch screen gives way to a high-resolution 12.3-inch touchscreen, which has been placed 86 mm closer to the driver than the previous screen for ease of operation. This promotes ease of operation.

Also with voice recognition

The new system uses voice recognition in addition to touchscreen controls. The “Hey Lexus” assistant can respond to about a hundred different commands, such as to control the climate control by saying “I’m cold. Smartphone integration is also present, with Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android Auto (wired). The Lexus LC comes standard with a navigation system, which can also use a cloud connection for up-to-date road and traffic information. The system can also query local fuel prices or parking locations via the cloud.

Goodbye touchpad

Whereas the Lexus LC previously had a touchpad for multimedia controls, that has now been replaced by touchscreen controls. The center console gets a new layout. An aluminum button remains for quick operation of the Mark Levinson Surround Sound System with 13 speakers that is standard on every Lexus LC.

Additional space for personalization

Lexus is offering more ways to configure the car to taste with the model year update of the LC Convertible and LC Coupe. For example, there are two new interior colors: Dark Rose and Blue & White. With this latest color scheme, blue accents are used for the steering wheel, shift lever and lower door panels. In Dark Rose, black is contrasted with a deep red for the seats, center console, instrument panel and trim around the door handles.

Two new exterior colors

In addition to the new interior colors, Lexus is also introducing two new exterior colors for the Coupe and Convertible: Heat Blue and Sonic Copper, familiar from the recently introduced Lexus RX and Lexus RZ. Heat Blue is a bright and pure blue color that accentuates the beautiful details of bodywork of the Lexus LC. Sonic Copper is a very rich copper shade that seems to get deeper and deeper as the sun sets.

Design exterior mirrors modified

The design of the exterior mirrors has been changed very slightly. The exterior mirrors now accommodate the cameras for the Panoramic View Monitor. The new shape has the added benefit of further reducing wind noise and also helps improve aerodynamics.

Range of driver assistance systems expanded

All versions of the Lexus LC get a new variant of the Lexus Safety System+. The Pre-Collision System (PCS), which previously could recognize vehicles and pedestrians in front of the car, can now detect cyclists during the day. Intersection Turning Assist helps the driver make safer left and right turns at intersections with cross traffic. Emergency Steering Assist automatically makes small corrections to the steering wheel and can help prevent unintentional lane departure. Road Sign Assist can quickly reset the vehicle’s speed based on speed limit information. And the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, which controls the car’s speed ahead of the car in front, now has Curve Speed Reduction to automatically adjust the vehicle’s speed according to the angle of the curve.

Adjustments to undercarriage

Lexus is making changes to the coil springs for the 2024 model year, as well as adjusting the shock absorbers, rear suspension, stabilizers, braces under the body, steering column and wheel mount. The front engine mounts have also been revised and the timing difference between body and driveline movement has been reduced. The result of these improvements is sharper steering response and an improved feel for contact with the road surface.

Brake-by-wire system

The brake-by-wire system has been retuned for a more natural braking feel. The 10-speed automatic’s shift controls have also been refined to better anticipate driver input in D mode. The automatic offers sportier driving characteristics in SPORT S and SPORT S+ modes. SPORT S+ gives more the feel of a manual transmission in “D” mode, where the transmission automatically selects the gear for optimal acceleration and deceleration. It also shifts back more sharply during braking. For track use, the V8-powered Coupe and Convertible now offer an Expert mode that disables traction control.

Improved battery

To improve driving performance, the LC 500h Coupe’s lithium-ion battery for the Multi Stage Hybrid system now has higher capacity cells. This delivers faster power, improving responsiveness and acceleration feel.  

Lexus LC Ultimate Edition

A new Ultimate Edition of the Lexus LC also appears. The new Ultimate Editions of the LC Coupe and LC Convertible get a distinctly sporty appearance and a new color scheme: Hakuji White. Inspired by traditional Japanese porcelain, the lacquerware has an elegant matte finish and fine line texture in the lacquerware. The unique paint – finished with a satin lacquer topcoat – contrasts perfectly with the black body details. For example, the grille is black and the edges around the headlights and exterior mirrors are also black. At the rear, the contrasting black is also used for the housing of the taillights, the lower bumper parts and the cutouts for the exhausts.

The Ultimate Editions are also instantly recognizable by the unique front bumper with “canards” or wings, an aerodynamic addition widely used in racing. They improve stability by better controlling airflow along the bumper and reducing elevator at the front of the car. For the LC Coupe Ultimate Edition, even more aerodynamics are applied, in the form of a black carbon rear spoiler.

Just as the black body details contrast with the Hakuji White paint, so does the Kachi-Blue interior of the Ultimate Edition – a color considered beneficial in Japan since ancient times, when the threads used for samurai armor were a shade of bluish black known as kachi-iro (“winning color”). The interior of the Ultimate Edition is distinguished by the presentation of the car’s serial number on an aluminum plate in front of the gear knob, alcantara on the console and door trim, and entry strips printed with the words “Limited Edition.” Finally, the rear differential has also been taken in hand by Lexus’ specialists for improved acceleration response.

Market launch

Production of the Lexus LC will begin in the third quarter of this year with the 2024 model year update. Production of the Lexus LC Ultimate Edition will begin in the fall. Prices will be announced at a later date.