Sales of the Lexus that started it all have slowed to a crawl in Australia, but it will live on in local showrooms for the time being.
The Lexus LS flagship limousine will continue in Australian showrooms for the immediate future despite slow sales and its axing in key overseas markets, including the US.
It comes as Lexus has previewed the future of its debut nameplate with three LS-branded concepts – a six-wheel people mover, a luxury SUV, and a single-seat autonomous pod.
The LS sedan launched the Lexus brand in Australia in 1990, and rivals the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and other flagship sedans at the top end of the luxury market.
The current model launched in 2017, and is at the end of its life cycle, with confirmation in recent weeks that it will depart the US market after the 2026 model year, and its axing in the UK at the start of 2025.
The LS has not set an Australian sales record since its first full year of sales (410 cars in 1991) – and just 10 have been sold so far this year, compared to 64 Mercedes-Benz S-Classes – but the brand says it's not going anywhere, at least for the moment.
"I'm aware of it, yeah," Lexus Australia CEO John Pappas told media, when quizzed on the LS sedan's departure from the US market.
"But, again, we haven't confirmed if it's leaving Australia, in terms of our market. But yeah, if we, and when we're ready to say that, we'll come out."
Pappas spoke to Australian reporters at the Tokyo motor show, where Lexus revealed the three flagship concepts: the LS Concept six-wheeler, LS Coupe Concept high-rider, and LS Micro Concept single-seater.
Closest to production appearance is the LS Coupe Concept – given the popularity of SUVs – but Pappas expressed interest in all options.
"Those concepts, at the end of the day, we'd love to see them come to life," the Lexus executive said.
"That's very, very exciting for the Lexus brand, but it doesn't mean that we are forever going to not see the sedan, the LS sedan, again. It really depends on the markets, the appetite in those markets, whether the LS sedan actually continues or not."
He cautioned none of the three concepts have been confirmed for showrooms.
"What you saw today on those particular concepts, the decision hasn't been made to confirm them in production, at the moment," said Pappas.
"We'd love to see them, but with regards to the LS sedan at the moment, we are not confirming that's gone and done."
Japanese media reports claim Lexus is already working on a new LS with an SUV body style, filling the gap in the brand's line-up for a flagship high-riding model on a car-derived platform, not the LX off-roader's ladder-frame chassis.
It would suggest the LS Coupe Concept is a preview of the vehicle eventually planned for production, while the six-wheeled LS Concept could hint at the eventual successor to the four-wheeled LM people mover introduced in 2023.
Lexus head office in Japan has referred to the latest generation of the smaller ES – a mid-size sedan based on the Toyota Camry – as its "global flagship model," despite the continued availability of the larger LS.
Pappas indicated the ES is not a direct successor to the LS in the sedan segment, even if it closes the gap in space and luxury.
"The new ES is obviously very exciting for us," the Lexus Australia boss told media.
"On the platform and the way it's built – without giving away too much on the new ES, because there'll be a time and a place for that – but it gives us, you're right, some of those features of the LS regarding internal cabin space, and some of these types of attributes.
"I've actually personally been in that car, driven that car, and it's an absolute beauty. So there are definitely elements ... but, again, like I said, I'm not confirming that we're deleting it, the LS."
The new ES is the second Lexus model to offer a choice of hybrid and electric power on the same platform, after the UX, which has now deleted its battery-electric (BEV) option in Australia.
With emissions rules now in force penalising car makers for selling too many high-CO2 vehicles, the ES sedan's design allows Lexus to scale up or shrink its electric line-up as customer demand and government regulation requires.
"Absolutely," said Pappas, "with the ES, you know, looking at hybrid and BEV, obviously through luxury of choice, it gives us a great opportunity going forward."
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
