Lexus has unveiled the all-new LS 600h luxury saloon at the New York Auto Show, marking another major advance in the development of its hybrid power model range.

The LS 600h is the world's first vehicle to feature a full hybrid V8 powertrain, featuring a combination of a 5.0-litre petrol engine and two high-output electric motors.

Lexus says this arrangement will endow the LS 600h with an unmatched balance of environmental efficiency and performance, with a peak combined output from the powertrain of more than 430 horsepower. It is the most advanced petrol-electric hybrid power system the motor industry has yet seen, delivering power and performance on a par with modern 12-cylinder engines, with fuel efficiency that matches a conventional V8 unit.

To harness the system's prodigious power and ensure excellent handling stability, the LS 600h uses a new mechanical all-wheel drive system.

The LS 600h also benefits from a new dual-stage electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission (E-CVT), ensuring smooth power delivery and an impressive turn of speed for overtaking.