The 2016 Lexus GS will sport Toyota’s 2-liter, turbocharged engine, which is already in the NX200t and is coming to the IS200t. The GS will be the third Lexus model in the States to feature the engine — overseas, the RC will get it as well, but that model hasn’t been confirmed for the U.S. market.
The 2-liter turbo, which produces 241 horsepower, will complement the GS350 and GS450h, which will get incremental improvements over last year. The 3.5-liter V-6 underneath the hood of the GS350 will get a small power bump (311 horsepower vs. 305; 280 pound-feet vs. 277). According to Lexus, the V-6 will have port and direct injection, but the automaker didn’t specify if the engine used the same D-4S system found in the 2016 Toyota Tacoma.
The GS200t will be rear-wheel drive only and will be paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Countdown to the RX getting the same treatment starts … now.
In addition to a third engine model, the 2016 Lexus GS will get small improvements elsewhere. A new front fascia and running boards will be included in the 2016 model.
Lexus will make available for all three models — GS200t, GS350, GS450h — an F Sport package that includes a stiffer chassis, bigger rear tires (on RWD only) and interior accents. Only the GS350 F Sport will be available with all-wheel drive.
(Lexus GS 450h Hybrid shown.)
Coming soon to a Lexus dealer near you, a fail of epic proportions.
We’ll see. BMW 3 and 5 series buyers didn’t seem to notice, but that engine appears to punch above its weight.
GS isn’t a sales tour de force in the segment anyway.
Lex GS is above both, equivalent to an E Class Benz. Yes the BMW 5 does not impress me and never really did.
The GS and 5 series starting MSRPs are within a grand of each other and about five grand less than an E class. Audi A6 also bases with a 2.0T at a similar price.
The GS350 is quicker than the 528 and A6 for the same price, perhaps Lexus wants to undercut them further by offering a similar performing turbo four for a bit less money. They could use the sales increase, and if these micro turbos are still luring customers into BMWs and Audis it might work for Lexus as well
Might just be the way I look at it but I hold Lexus to a higher standard. Many people forget two of the three German luxo brands do not have a lesser Toyota or Chevrolet brand to soak up volume, thus they might play with lesser volume versions of models to increase sales and dilute their brand equity in the process. Lexus really has no need to do that and even if they did, smaller models such as NX and IS could carry a four banger. Doing this is akin to what Cadillac did in its Alpha CTS, a standard four pot. How’s that working for Cadillac? Cadillac is a better litmus test than BMW, bc BMW figures are skewed due to brand-whoring, IMO (there are people who would still buy it with one cylinder engines because roundel). Cadillac’s brand isn’t nearly as strong or serious so aside from legacy and diehard customers, Cadillac’s customers are people who like the product and/or price point. What is happening last I checked with ATS at least, is nearly 50% of cars I sampled which were sold at auction was they carried the V6, about 20% carried the 2.5, the rest being 2.0T and mostly sticks. What really happened was Cadillac’s customers rejected the four bangers and were forced to pay for what should have been standard, the V6 (thus increasing margin and screwing the customer). Lexus is better than this and I highly doubt potential GS customers were turned off by a standard V6. This might be about bringing the model to a lower price point and increasing volume, but I think its more about making you pay for what was standard.
On a more personal note, in theory I could afford a GS (or at lease at least), but realistically its too expensive for me but I thought one of the things it was doing right in recent years was the standard V6.
Introducing German Reliability with Japanese Styling and Handling! Die Verfolgung der Perfektion.
Ugly, boring and slow…
yet rock solid and an interior no american brand can replicate for some crazy reason
…and is it just me, or does this car look like a Nissan Maxima sucking a lemon?
I just visited an Edsel collector’s site, and so many current cars make the ’58 Edsels look GOOD!
A 2.0 trim GS is for poor people.
I do realize that in the end it wont matter however I just dont want 241 hp in my 55k dollar car. I realize that hp does not luxury make however I can help but be a little old school.
If you’re old school, you remember when the most expensive Lexus you could get had 250 hp (and a torque curve a good deal peakier than this one). The problem isn’t the amount of power. It’s the four-cylinder sound. I can’t get over that part either. Just yesterday I was standing on the sidewalk in front of my house when a new NX200t powered up the hill past me, and it just sounded like an econobox.
These feelings of acoustic neutering probably won’t afflict many men under 50.
Thanks alot dude I feel much better…lol
Chocolatedeath,
Cheer up, we have our memories of all those performances of the Uncle Buck Concerto by every V-8 with an exhaust problem.
Do you really want to go back to a world of GLOG-GLOG-GLOG-GLOG…?
Then again, odds are that NX200T driver will never, ever have any idea what their car actually sounds like. From the cabin, the minimal exhaust probably just blends with what little other white noise that makes its way in.
Only if they keep their windows closed all the time.
I haven’t driven a NX200t, but I’m also not sure it’s possible to keep a RAV4 derivative that quiet. You certainly get a fair amount of four-cylinder noise inside N20 BMWs.
“Then again, odds are that NX200T driver will never, ever have any idea what their car actually sounds like”
Having driven one, I can kinda agree. The NX has so much sound deadening that it’s really hard to hear the details of the engine note. You can tell it’s a four cylinder, and it doesn’t sound as cool as VW/Audi’s 2.0t. To counter that, Lexus uses the audio system to pipe “aggressive” digitally generated intake noise into the cabin – which IMHO doesn’t sound nearly as good as BMW’s noise generators.
Lexus has that covered – taking a tip from BMW, they will add recorded exhaust tone to the cabin via the Mark Levinson stereo, which will have two settings – “Standard”, which will give the four cylinder tone, and “F-Sport”, which uses recordings of “Big Daddy” Don Garlit’s front engined Top Fuel car – the one that blew up and cut off part of his foot.
*ding*
They’ll just set up the stereo to play “pleasant engine noise” all the time.
The later 430 engine is smoooov too and 300hp.
D4-S is the name for Toyota’s dual port/direct fuel injection system. It’s been on Lexus 3.5 V6 models for years, is on the Fr-S and now the new Tacoma. Why would it not be called D4-S?
That said, the new 2.0t seems to be on the not too peppy side of things, so you’ll have to be content revelling in Toyota’s fake leather as you motor along in your new polite GS.
I was confused by that bit as well and logged in to post something but you beat me to it. This article makes it sound like the Tacoma is bringing D4-S to the market for TMC. It was in my 2006 IS 350 and the GS has used the same engine for almost as long (2007 MY?). While it’s sad that this is the first power bump in 10 model years for the excellent 2GR-FSE, it’s good to see Toyota finally updating their powertrains. A turbo 6 could get me into another IS.
It’s also called D4-S on the LS engine, which has been around since 2007.
The Taco is introducing a new version which selectively runs Atkinson cycle sometimes, depending on speed and load.
BMW ditched their NA inline six for a 2.0 turbo and gained some impressive acceleration and fuel economy performance. Ford pulled a similar move with their 2.0 and the results are pretty bad.
Curious as to where the Toyota/Lexus data point will land on this spectrum.
Ford’s 2.0T is just fine. It’s meant for you to hate it and upgrade to the 2.3L.
Too bad you can’t do that with a Fusion.
Supposedly 33mpg highway on the GS200t. Why, oh why, can’t I have an IS200t with a 6MT?
I dont think this is a big deal.
The world downsizing to turbo 4 cyl. anyway… I’m pretty sure BMW Mercedes and Audi all have 1.6 liter turbo fours as entry levels in countries that accept such low capacity cars eg. BMW 316i is a 135hp turbo 1.6 sedan which has adequate performance (ie. 0-60 in 9 secs).
even worse there are some countries that saddle C segment type hatches and sedans with 1.6 naturally aspirated fours or even less… 1.4 lt non turbo pushing around 3,000lb isnt unheard of… eek.
Turbo 4s sound like feces. I can accept that sound for an economy car but not a luxury car that is supposed to have a sense of occasion. Most folks won’t care though.
What I’m really hoping is that they boost the V6. Small twin turbos or hell even a single one in the V for a torquey 350-400HP. TC equipped DCT would really solidify its performance cred. Could also work great in the IS/RC.
lord knows i agree with you, i dont even think the ‘sporting’ japanese engines like the 3S-GTE or SR20DET sound that great but look at the typical near luxury buyer… the Audi A3/A4, Mercedes C or BMW 3 or the Japanese clones
these people want the cheapest ‘badge’ conveyance out there
I used to work with a woman who was our CFO… nice enough person but she asked me what car she should get from the company as they were paying for the lease… it had to be one of the 3 germans or maybe the Lexus… she ended up with a BMW 318 auto… this is anathema to my existence but they sell to these types of people
“Turbo 4s sound like feces”
This one actually sounds a lot like a quieter version of Honda’s K24.
4 cylinder engines make me want to puke repeatedly. Ugh.
Given the weight saving and torque delivery, it will probably be just as fast as the V6.
They should make this engine an option in the ES and RX as well. Both of those would benefit from losing some weight over the front axle.
Well, we can all opine. Or, we could look it up
C/D test results:
NX200t AWD 15.3 quarter mile, 4040 lbs
GS 350 AWD 14.1 quarter mile, 3977 lbs
The Toyota V6 only weighs 365 lbs dressed.
As a GS400 (V8) driver, this breaks my heart. The GS needs to stand apart from the IS as a distinct step up. With the same 4-cyl, what’s the point? Hopefully this will be the same kind of failure as the Infiniti G25. They need to start taking out serious weight before downgrading the car with a four-banger.
4 cyl turbo engines today sound like crap because market demands quiet tamed engines with no lag and sound. For decades autojournous have been complaining about lag and lack of smoothness with smaller displacement turbo engines. Now technology has achived what market has “demanded”. To average buyer this is all good. But the emotional rollercoaster ride and rush you get from older turbo engined performance cars in uncomparable. Blow off valve swoosh and bangs-cracks from the exhaust after lifting, sudden hit from the on-off type boost etc. Even stock evo 9 is all that. Dont expect all that from todays luxury or mainstream turbo cars.
Thank heavens! My next ride will likely and unavoidably have a turbo.
Two-liter four bangers don’t belong in luxury cars – what is Lexus thinking, sheeze, the next thing you know BMW, Lincoln and Cadillac will be doing it and the B&B will howl what a terrible idea it is, and how they’re all cheaping out.
Wait a minute…
Ugh, yet another luxury car taking the 4 cylinder bait. Depressing. I had enjoyed the image Lexus was able to portray in their commercial for the GS that mocked the German big 3 for their stripper luxury sedans and specifically called out BMW for the 4 cylinder 528. Now they join them in the race to the bottom. Funny that now Chrysler (the 300) and Hyundai (the Genesis) are actually offering models that are more luxurious than competing true luxury brands.
F*ck you, Lexus.
Stick your 4 bangers up your a$$ sideways.
F*ck you, Cadillac & Lincoln, too, with not only compact and midsize 4 banger POS motors (same as found in Chevy & Ford platform mates), but 4 banger POS “luxury full size vehicles” sch as the guaranteed-to-be-sh!tty upcoming CT6 Cadillac flop (yet another sales disaster).
You can now get a BMW with a triple, so enjoy that fourth cylinder while it’s still there.