2018 Lexus LS 500h

The sharp edges and bold style of the 2018 Lexus LS 500h hybrid obscure the quintessential Lexus qualities throughout: a pillowy and cushioned ride, a whisper-quiet interior and world-class build quality. A comprehensive redesign inside, outside and underneath once again places the LS in the same rare air as recently updated large luxury sedan designs from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Today’s LS 500h goes a step further with cutting-edge tech and driver safety, and it reminds you that Europe doesn’t have a lock on world-class luxury.

The numbers on the new 3.4-liter V-6 engine in the LS – which replaces a 4.6-liter V-8 16 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque in a car weighing nearly 5,000 pounds.

The surprisingly lively engine, tied to a 10-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive in my LS, consistently acted like an over-achiever. (And incidentally, it has 30 more horsepower than the last 4.6-liter V-8.)

With electric-like smoothness – and no lag I could detect – the engine boiled up waves of torque on take-off, surging nicely to 60 mph in about 5 seconds, according to Car and Driver.