- Lexus has revealed three LS-badged design studies, one of which seems closer to production than the others.
- The Lexus LS Coupe Concept is a tall, sporty-looking crossover that could preview a new direction for the LS nameplate.
- Toyota and Lexus plan to launch several new EVs in the next few years and an electric LS crossover can’t be excluded.
Lexus killed off the LS sedan, its flagship car and the one that gave birth to the entire brand, in the U.S. in September after 36 years and five model generations. The latest generation has suffered from poor sales worldwide, which is why Lexus may be reconsidering the direction for a future LS model. And next time, it may no longer be a sedan.
At the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, Lexus actually envisioned several possible forms a future LS flagship could take someday, some more realistic than others. One was a six-wheeled luxury van; another was a one-seat vehicle with three wheels. But I’d say one of them is much more plausible, and that’s the LS Coupe Concept.
It’s not an actual coupe, though, but rather a big SUV with a sporty coupe-like roofline and a dramatic fastback rear end. The manufacturer doesn’t say what its plans are for a future LS-badged high-rider, only stating that this study “answers the wish to have the best of everything.”
Lexus at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show
Photo by: Lexus
The vehicle is likely electric with its completely flat floor inside and no visible tailpipes anywhere. The proportions, particularly of the front end, make it look like an EV, as there doesn’t look like there’s enough space under the hood for an engine, unless it’s a small transversely mounted mill.
The A-pillar is one of the most slanted and swept-back I’ve ever seen, making the car look very aerodynamic. There’s also a hint of Ferrari Purosangue in the overall proportions of the vehicle, which seems to straddle the line between cars and SUVs.
Inside, it’s just as dramatic with the dark driver’s seat contrasting with the rest of the light interior. There’s no center screen, and the driver gets two stacked displays, one showing driving information while the other blends the feed from the side rear-view cameras with a forward-facing camera for an all-around perspective view.
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Source: Lexus
Lexus could put this into production as the brand evolves and is repositioned below Century, which will become Toyota’s new flagship brand as it attempts to take customers away from the likes of Rolls-Royce or Bentley.
With this trio of design studies, Toyota is showing its intention to move the Lexus brand in new directions and potentially tap into a new customer base.
Lexus is expected to release several new EVs, including an electric ES sedan, which should debut in the U.S. sometime next year, as well as a production version of the LF-ZC concept, but it’s unclear when that debuts. There may also be a smaller electric sedan in the pipeline —an IS EV—to take buyers from the upcoming BMW i3, as well as the Tesla Model 3 and the Hyundai Ioniq 6.
Toyota said in 2023 that it wants to launch 15 new EVs by 2027 and that this is just the start of a major shift toward electrification.
