Safety and Technology

Airbags may be the most basic safety device inside the Lexus GS 450h. There are seatbelts, too, of course, but the point is that the GS 450h is one of the safest cars on the road – if you’re counting safety by the acronym. That includes airbags, as Lexus adds side-impact, side-curtain, and knee airbags to the GS 450h. In addition, there are several systems designed to keep you from crashing in spite of your bad driving habits, the distracted driver in the next lane over, or even crummy weather. The 2007 Lexus GS 450h gets just about all of ‘em, starting with a braking system that integrates large, vented four-wheel-disc antilock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); Brake Assist (BA); Traction Control (TRC); and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). As with other available GS models, the 450h has the Lexus Electronically Controlled Brake (ECB) brake-by-wire system, which figures out the right amount of brake force for each wheel in a given situation. Handling is managed by VDIM, which uses the above braking systems along with Electronic Throttle Control (ETC), Electric Power Steering (EPS) and Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) to keep the GS going in the direction you’ve got it pointed.

Run-flat tires and the Lexus Pre-Collision System (PCS) are optional on the GS 450h. The PCS measures vehicle speed, steering angle, and direction of travel, figures out the chance for a collision, and makes critical changes to keep you safe. For example, if a collision is unavoidable, the PCS will switch the car to Sport mode to reduce nose dive and improve emergency handling; it will retract the seatbelts to snug you tight against the seat; and it preps Brake Assist so that maximum stopping power arrives upon mashing the pedal. Also available on the GS 450h, beginning with models built in August 2006, is Lexus Link telematics. That’s the Toyota equivalent of OnStar, with GPS, airbag deployment notification, roadside assistance, 24/7 support and more.