TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp's Lexus LS460 flagship sedan, which debuted in Japan in September as the high-end lineup of its Lexus premium brand, has won the annual Car of the Year Japan award, the executive committee of the award said Saturday. "The top-quality, comfortable driving performance of the car is one of the highest in the world," the committee said.

The LS460, powered by a new 4.6-liter V-8 engine, is being sold through 160 Lexus dealers in Japan for suggested retail prices ranging from 7.7 million yen to 9.65 million yen. The LS460 model features the world's first eight-speed automatic transmission and a wide range of anti-crash technologies, including a system to detect pedestrians and a radar device in the rear bumper to continuously scan the distance from a vehicle approaching from behind.