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2013 Lexus LS Due By Year’s End: Report

A replacement for the big Lexus LS limousine could appear before the end of 2012, according to a new report out of the US.

Making its international debut in 2006, the current third-generation LS is due for retirement in the coming year.

Accordi

Drive Team

04:1122 June 2012

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2013 Lexus LS Due By Year's End: Report

A replacement for the big Lexus LS limousine could appear before the end of 2012, according to a new report out of the US.

Making its international debut in 2006, the current third-generation LS is due for retirement in the coming year.

According to American website Left Lane, the new LS will launch in the next few months, suggesting that an unveiling at November's Los Angeles Auto Show could be on the cards.

The report adds that Lexus may be considering dropping the V8 engine from the top-shelf 600h hybrid model, potentially replacing it with a version of the 3.5 litre six-cylinder in the new GS 450h hybrid.

Spy photos in recent months have revealed that the new model is nearing the end of testing, and a teaser video released earlier this year offered a glimpse of what we can likely expect.

Silhouetted against a dark background (show above), the brief cameo of the never before-seen car wears the familiar Lexus "spindle" grille design and bold new headlights.

The new car appears in the clip alongside the new GS sedan, the CT 200h F Sport (with US-market front bumper), the new overseas-market ES sedan and the recently updated LX SUV.

The car shown in the clip features a unique perforated look to its headlights, along with the familiar wavy F Sport mesh and blue-glowing Lexus badge surrounded by the brand's new "spindle" grille frame.

Watch for more developments on the new LS in the coming months.