Lexus just debuted several concepts at the Japan Mobility Show. Two of which, we think, signal a bit of a shift for Toyota’s upscale label.
One’s a sports car—the Lexus Sport Concept, which has been making its rounds since this past summer. The other is a new LS Coupe Concept, that’s really a crossover and not unlike the current Toyota Crown, albeit way more upscale. What we can read from both is that they each signal Lexus’s need to fight on more than one front against both Korean brands, like Genesis, and peers in Japan such as Acura, and in Germany, especially Mercedes. Here’s a brief walk-through of what they revealed—and our between-the-lines reading of what they haven’t said, but signaled.
The LS Reborn As A Crossover
There are two really important features of this crossover. First, just that fact tells you that the future of the LS isn’t as a sedan. And Lexus’s Chief Branding Officer, Simon Humphries, said as much during the reveal:
“Since the Lexus LS was introduced in 1989. The rules of the luxury market have changed dramatically.
Once upon a time, executive sedans ruled the automotive world. Now, they are fighting a losing battle with SUVs.”—Lexus Chief Branding Officer, Simon Humphries
A Tall-Riding Sedan Is A Crossover, Not A Coupe
Humphries explained that the four-door “coupe” was designed to follow Lexus customers where they are today, and that they want “…space and freedom to curate their time with maximum efficiency.” As such, this isn’t a coupe, because that would be antithetical to what Humphries said customers want—space—and even though it has suicide doors, at least, for once, this concept shows an actual B-pillar, which means, in theory, such a vehicle could be made and still meet crash standards.
What’s Missing?
Stare at the nose of this concept and you know what’s missing? A grille. That’s the other important visual “tell” that Lexus is on a different journey with the Coupe Concept. The hourglass-shaped LEDs are supposed to echo the brand’s signature spindle grille, but that very large maw has always looked ill-proportioned and antithetical to Lexus’s erstwhile elegance. Here, designers have gone a different direction—which may mean zilch about future design, by the way.
A Drawerful Of Deluxe
We sure hope that—someday—a carmaker will actually sell a vehicle with an in-bed drawer like this one. In this case, this futuristic LS Coupe gets a slide-out trunk that makes it easier to load long or heavy objects. That said, since Humphries argued that we no longer want sedans, that means we do want actual five-door vehicles—since that’s what we purchase instead of sedans with trunks.
Elsewhere, this cabin is quite upscale, and Lexus uses “shy tech” throughout the car, with fold-away screens. That trend on concepts is at war with current vehicles still getting yet more screens, and we’re not sure whether Lexus will continue to follow its presently good instincts or not.
The Sport Concept Is The Other Leg Lexus Must Stand On
Lexus keeps showing us a sports car concept because the brand knows performance is a pillar customers look for in luxury. It doesn’t matter if Lexus sells 100 hypercars a year across the globe, they must have a serious sports product that rivals peers from the likes of Mercedes-AMG.
Lexus Keeps Us Guessing
No, we still don’t know what’s under the hood (or, possibly, mid-mounted) in this concept, which first debuted at Monterey Car Week. The best guess is that it’s a hybrid, because that fits the Toyota-Lexus zeitgeist of the moment of electrifying everything. Indeed, at a recent Toyota event, TopSpeed was told that the brand sees this as the most cost-effective way to cut carbon emissions. And considering that the U.S. (and, by proxy, every nation that is not Russia) is still in a trade war with China over hard-to-get precious materials used for electrification, that stance feels prudent.
TopSpeed’s Take
Lexus showed off a number of other radical ideas, including a six-wheeled van that will never be sold in this hemisphere, but may work for Asia. But the bigger, broader takeaway is that by splitting their stand between a crossover and a sports car, both of which are super sleek and very different from each other, there’s a joint message of sportiness.
This, after all, is where Genesis is going with their Magma line, what Mercedes, Audi, and BMW have had as a silver bullet for decades, and what Lexus has—only sometimes emphasized. That hasn’t always mattered, to be clear. Mercedes-Benz, for years, didn’t lean on sportiness, but instead, stressed opulence. The real challenge is to nail both targets. A challenge we bet Lexus is fully up to.
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