There's no getting away from the fact the Lexus GS 450h is a hybrid-powered executive saloon with the latest revisions to this model. Lexus has added hybrid-blue rear light clusters and the same colour of backlighting for the start/stop button on the dash.

There's also a new front grille with horizontal bars and new 18-inch alloy wheels for the SE-L model. The SE version can be ordered with optional 18-inch alloys to replace its standard 17-inch wheels when the customer ticks the box for parking sensors.

Safety has been improved for the GS 450h with the addition of active headrests to reduce whiplash injuries. There are also revisions to the Pre-Crash system to improve braking in the event of an accident.

Avoiding traffic jams should be easier in the updated GS 450h thanks to a new 40GB hard drive for the navigation system. It now has Europe-wide coverage and there's also space on the hard drive for 10GB of music storage.

Prices for the revised Lexus GS 450h start at £43,035 for the SE model. The parking sensor and 18-inch alloy wheel upgrade costs £1,000, while other designs of 18-inch alloys are £1,500. Fuel economy and emissions for the revised GS 450h remain the same as before at 37.2mpg and 179g/km respectively.

Alisdair Suttie - 24 May 2010