THERE is no need to call on Lady Luck with the new Lexus sports saloon, on sale next week. It is packed with enough new safety technology to get the driver out of any hair-raising situation.

For starters, it has radar-controlled active cruise control, keeping the car a safe distance from the vehicle in front, and this radar will also instruct the seatbelts to tighten when it senses a collision is imminent. In addition, in this situation should the footbrake be touched the car goes into full emergency stop mode, stopping in feet rather than yards, and in a straight line.

An active steering system guides the car into a safe braking slide without the driver having to move the steering wheel. Be assured, it works incredibly well.

All this exceptional safety comes as standard with the GS, a car designed from the start to meet the highest European requirements for passenger protection.

There are four versions of the GS, in three specifications, with on-the-road prices starting at £30,400 for the GS300, £35,900 for the GS300 SE, £38,000 for the GS300 SE-L and £46,755 for the GS430.

All versions are equipped with anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, traction control and vehicle stability control.

Then there are the passive safety systems, such as 10 airbags, including knee airbags for driver and front seat passenger and front and rear curtain shield airbags. All models except the entry level GS300 also have rear passenger side airbags.

Pedestrian safety has not been overlooked either: with the bonnet, engine cowl and front bumper having a crushable design. The bonnet is shaped to disperse impact energy over a larger area and lessen the risk of serious head injuries.

Safer night-time driving is also high on the safety list, thanks to the brighter, adaptive front-lighting system which monitors the vehicle's turning radius and moves the angle of the headlamp beams to improve forward lighting through bends in the road.

The GS is the third generation luxury sports saloon and the first model to show off the new Lexus L-finesse design philosophy: a distinctive long wheelbase, sleek silhouette side view and overall pleasing inside and out, with plenty of headroom for those in the back.

All GS300 models use the all new Lexus 3.0-litre, V6, 245bhp direct injection petrol engine with dual variable valve timing. Despite 6,200rpm and 310Nm of torque at 3,500rpm, and a 0-62mph acceleration of 7.2 seconds and a top speed of 148mph, its performance is surprisingly unexciting. It has lost some of the perkiness enjoyed in the earlier models, and the engine has to be worked quite hard to really give the driver its best. On the other hand, the GS430, not that much more powerful, uses a revised 4.3-litre, V8, 279bhp unit and, by comparison, really is all get-up-and-go, especially when the electronically controlled, close-ratio six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift mode, is in Sport mode. It can accelerate from rest to 62mph in 6.1-seconds, and reach a limited top speed of 155mph with its performance helped along by the

drive-by-wire electronic throttle control.

The GS starts with a smart key system for door locking and engine start-up and makes use of an advanced new glass screen system to ensure the information dials remain perfectly clear in all light conditions. A 10-speaker sound system with six-disc in-dash CD player is fitted as standard, but drivers of higher grade versions can enjoy the superior sound experience offered by a Mark Levinson designed hi-fi, unique to Lexus.

The Lexus DVD-based satellite navigation system is available with a simple touch-screen operating system that also lets the driver operate the audio and air conditioning functions and, where compatible, Bluetooth control of the mobile telephone.

Voice control functions are also available, capable of recognising a multitude of commands.

Parking assist, which uses a rear-view camera linked to the central display screen to provide guidance for reversing, is fitted, too.

Lexus says that its re-launch programme, in addition to the new GS, will include the introduction of the RX400h hybrid in May and the new IS with their new clean diesel engine will follow at the end of this year. A hybrid version of the GS will follow in 2006, but there will be no diesel-powered model.

Dealer: Lexus Hull, Priory Park, Saxon Way, Hessle, near Hull (01482 333222).

Fact file:

Model: Lexus GS sports saloon; four specifications

Prices: From £30,400 to £38,000.

Engines: Two, 3.0-litre producing 245bhp and 3.5-litre developing 279bhp.

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, with sequential shift.

Economy: Around 28.8mpg combined.

Updated: 10:29 Friday, April 15, 2005