It’s knew that the 2012 GS 350 will debut at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance next month.
It’s clear that the upcoming model from Lexus will enter in a strong competiton with the Mercedes E-Klasse and the BMW 5 Series and to truly remain in a fight with such a rough competitors, in Europe, at least you must bring a four-cylinder diesel.
According to Autocar, the company is planning a version of the GS with a new small four-cylinder diesel, possibly a revamped version of the 2.2-liter unit used in the U.K., offering about 150 horsepower.
Most likely the U.S. won’t see such a small diesel in the GS, however, with a V-6/hybrid combo, or even a V-8/hybrid as seen in the last GS 450h, far more likely.
Scheduled to arrive in Europe in 2013, if the rumors confirms, the diesel would put the BMW 520d on notice, or at least offer some alternatives to efficiency-minded luxury buyers on the continent. About this model the company says that it will start a “new direction” for the brand.
The new Lexus GS will be officially unveiled during the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and then will find out the full details of the new GS, including CO2 and economy figures.
Source: Autocar
