Blackraven

Here's a casual review of the GS450 Hybrid (4th gen)


Enjoy

Tom450

What, no bamboo interior?

Blackraven

From what I know, Bamboo interior is not available for the Philippine market.......or at least that's what I recall. I'll have to ask Lexus Manila about it.

Btw:
Is bamboo trim standard over there in USA? Or can you choose different interior trim/veneer?

Im2bz2p345

Great video my friend. Thanks for sharing.

Are hybrids pretty rare in the Philippines?

Here in the U.S., bamboo interior trim + bamboo steering wheel come with the Luxury Package (among other things like Bi-LED headlamps).

Clearly the car being tested/used for the review didn't have many options at all - I noticed the navigation unit was only 8 inches as well. Most used GS450h's that I've seen (or came across) being sold here in the U.S. have the 12.3" navigation option.

Hope that helps,

~ Im2bz2p345

praetor

I don't think the car had navigation which is why the screen was so small. That screen was just for controls and settings. A lot of new cars in SE Asia for example do not come with navigation simply because many of the streets there are not mapped out rendering Navi useless. I have seen some Lexus cars/SUVs with Navi in Cambodia but they were used imports from the US and it was indeed useless.

Blackraven

Sure it's not a problem.

Yes definitely.

Unlike in the USA or in other developed countries, there are currently no tax incentives for hybrids or alternative fuel vehicles here in the Philippines. So yes you pay full price for it and absorb the added costs that is involved.

Oh I see that's interesting to know

We only get limited variants since the Philippines is only a minor market for Lexus so the Philippines is not much of a priority for Lexus global operations.

For the 4th generation Lexus GS, there are currently three variants:
-GS350 Base/Luxury
-GS350 F Sport
-GS450h

The GS250 is not offered locally.....because there are no tax incentives for Japan-made vehicles with engine displacement below 3000 cc

In addition, customization for individual options is EXTREMELY-LIMITED. You can't add stuff like Mark Levinson audio or features like BSM or even choice of wheels. The only things that Lexus Manila offers are the ability to choose the color of your seats. That's it.

Also
As mentioned by praetor, not all markets have the 12.3 inch screen. Here in the Philippines, only the 8 inch screen is available......and GPS navigation is not yet available for our 4GS.

If ever GPS navigation becomes available here for the Lexus GS, then I get the feeling that the 8 inch screen will still be retained.

Still, we *might* get the 12.3 inch screen in the future if someone is willing to bear the added cost (be it the dealer or the customer)

You're welcome =)