The 2013 Lexus GS 250 debuts at the 9th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, November 21.[Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

There will be yet another variant of the all-new Lexus GS for sale when the Lexus sedan enters production in June. The 2013 GS 250, a 2.5-liter V-6 powered version of the new GS, just debuted at the 9th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition. Likely to be sold only overseas, the latest version of the GS is designed to skirt under displacement taxes in Europe and China and will of course offer improved fuel economy over the 3.5-liter V-6 equipped car.

The 2013 GS 250 packs roughly the same 2.5-liter V-6 under the hood as the IS 250 in North America. As it does in IS duty, the 2.5-liter V-6 produces 204-hp and 185 lb-ft of torque and is routed through a six-speed automatic transmission. Lexus says the bigger GS should make for a 0-62 mph time of 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 142 mph with the 2.5-liter under its hood. By comparison, the 2013 GS 350 should be able to hit 60 mph in a Lexus-estimated 5.7 seconds, and also tops out at an electronically-limited 142 mph.

The point of the 2013 Lexus GS 250 isn't acceleration and top speed, that's what the GS 350 F Sport is for. Rather the GS 250 is for Lexus owners who want the size of the GS, but the fuel economy of a smaller car. As such, the GS 250 should perform well. Under the EU-combined fuel economy cycle, the GS 250 returns a US equivalent of 26 mpg combined.