A Possible Lexus LS Replacement
The Lexus LS was the sedan that showed the world Japan could truly compete with the best European luxury brands. But after a 36-year run, the LS is about to drive off into the sunset, the victim of declining demand for highline sedans. The automaker will give the LS one last hurrah with the limited-run Heritage Edition.
But what’s a luxury brand without a flagship? That’s the question Lexus hopes to answer in the near future – and its product development team has rolled out several options making their debut at this week’s Japan Mobility Show.
Along with a decidedly audacious 6-wheeled, van-like show car, the list includes a slightly more conventional design that aims to find the sweet spot by blending coupe, sedan, and crossover on one platform.
Paul Eisenstein/Autoblog
First Look: LS Coupe Concept
Think of it as “a balance of contradictions,” said Ian Cartabiano, president of Toyota’s CALTY Design Research facility in California.
The LS Coupe Concept doesn’t go completely astray from familiar Lexus design cues. There’s the brand’s familiar “spindle grille,” for example, but its boundaries are framed with LED lighting. Indeed, Cartabiano’s design team made extensive use of lighting to accentuate the show car’s angles.
The overall appearance, though, might seem familiar. In profile, there’s a subtle resemblance to the far more mainstream Toyota Crown Signia, which also seeks to find a new balance between sedan and crossover.
Plenty of Cabin Space
If anything, the new LS Coupe Concept boasts more legroom than the outgoing LS sedan, one benefit of the taller seating layout. The cabin itself has a high-tech feel – yet it’s almost Scandinavian in its simplicity.
One of the more unusual tech features: a two-level digital display mounted behind the steering wheel. The driver’s seat is designed for performance, the passenger seats for comfort. Rear passengers are treated to a pair of huge touchscreens mounted behind the front seats. Another unusual feature: an extendable cargo bed that makes it easier to access luggage or groceries.
The LS Coupe Concept retains the emphasis on craftsmanship that long distinguished the old LS sedan. That includes the use of Japanese artsugi woodcrafting, where individual pieces feature such precise joints that they merge into one.
Multi-Pathway Powertrain Options
While Toyota isn’t ready to talk about production plans for an LS replacement, it’s unlikely to happen soon. Cartabiano told Autoblog that “at the moment we don’t have a dedicated platform for any of the concepts.”
Nor has Lexus yet decided on which powertrain technology to use. Notably, the coupe concept features a smooth front face with no openings to feed air into the engine compartment. If it were to go into production, the design chief confided, it’s very likely Lexus would follow the company’s “multi-pathway” strategy, with a mix of gas, hybrid, and, possibly, all-electric options.
For now, it appears to have at least a couple of years to figure out which path – or paths – to follow.
