If the future of modern motoring lies in the sort of engine powering this Lexus then all our Christmases might have come at once.

For the elegantly different GS 300h F Sport blends some of the undoubted advantages of an electric car by using a 141 horsepower electric motor, then removes those ‘range anxiety’ concerns about running out of juice by fitting a 2.5-litre, 178 horsepower petrol engine.

Slot those two together, direct the power to the rear wheels through an electronic automatic transmission and cloak all this high-tech hybrid wizardry in sleek, aggressively-styled bodywork and there, in a nutshell, is the Lexus GS 300h – a four-door, five-seater executive sports saloon that offers a genuinely different alternative to some of its European diesel-powered executive rivals.

Thankfully while the powertrain is complex, you have no need of a science degree to manage it. Simply push the start button and off you go – in complete silence at first, as the car always starts on pure electric power.

As you continue, power is automatically sourced from the engine and electric motor together, or from the motor alone, according to driving conditions, driver input and the drive mode selected.

While the GS 300h might not have the razor-sharp handling, nor the supreme ride comfort, of some of its competitors it does offer superlative levels of smoothness and refinement.

Life in a Lexus is all about luxury and the cabin of the GS 300h does not disappoint. Gloriously comfortable with everyway adjustable, electrically-operated, heated and cooled leather seats, the interior has been engineered with the Japanese car maker’s customary degree of precision.

Perhaps less expected is the way the huge screen in the dashboard achieves that rare feat of displaying a mass of features while remaining intuitively simple to operate.

The display in front of the driver simultaneously displays no fewer than ten pieces of information and a further half dozen information lights, but it is all crystal clear, easy to comprehend and at no point bewildering.

The calm and unflustered way the GS drives is impressive too and although the F Sport model might twitch a little, selecting the sportiest of modes by tweaking the adaptive electronic suspension delivers even more precise cornering. The steering too is nicely weighted and switching to the ‘sport’ setting adds yet more weight.

Riding on whopping 19-inch alloy wheels, the Lexus GS is a little taller and wider than before, with wider front and rear tracks, which helps boost the luggage space, though the lack of split-folding seats or a ski hatch makes this car less than ideal for anglers or skiers.

The F Sport model, as the name suggests, focuses on sports styling with triple-LED headlights and an automatic high-beam system, a special front bumper and mesh grille and a rear spoiler.

Safety is a priority and includes a pre-crash system which can detect pedestrians walking into the car’s path, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane keep assist and rear cross traffic alert. The door mirrors incorporate blind spot monitors.

Other models in the six-model range include the performance flagship GS 450 and the entry model, the GS 300h Executive Edition.

If comfort, build quality and a touch of green motoring matter more to you than outright tyre-smoking performance, then this tantalising taste of the hybrid future might just be for you.

Auto facts

Model: Lexus GS300h F Sport

Price: £44,005 as tested

Insurance group: 28E (1-50)

Fuel consumption (combined): 56.5mpg

Top speed: 118mph

Length: 488cm/192in

Width: 184cm/72.4in

Luggage capacity: 15.9 cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 14.5 gallons/66 litres

CO2 emissions: 115g/km

Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles