Lexus LS sedan could be rebooted as a six-wheeled people mover, concept hints

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Lexus looks set to remix the flagship LS formula, retiring the sedan that ran for five generations, and potentially preparing to relaunch the nameplate as a luxury people mover.

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Kez Casey
Lexus LS sedan could be rebooted as a six-wheeled people mover, concept hints

Lexus looks set for an upheaval that could be as significant as the impact the brand made when it first arrived.

The Lexus LS large luxury sedan looks set to be retired after 36 years across five generations, and the mid-size ES has been tagged as the ‘global flagship sedan’ in teasers for the new generation.

But it appears the LS may live on after all, in a new form.

In a preview of Toyota’s Tokyo motor show presentation, chairman Akio Toyoda previewed the LS Concept, a six-wheeled, three-row people mover due to make its public debut at the expo in Japan's capital later this month.

Lexus LS sedan could be rebooted as a six-wheeled people mover, concept hints

“Everyone just assumes ‘S’ means sedan,” Toyoda (translated) said in the livestream this week.

“But who decided that? There’s no rule that says it has to be. Why limit ourselves to that? After all, we’re talking about Lexus’ flagship.”

If Lexus pursues this idea going forward, it would mean a move away from the LS as ‘Luxury Sedan’ to become ‘Luxury Space’, but it’s the design direction that has stirred the most interest.

Unlike the relatively conventional Lexus LM people mover sold in Australia, which is based on the platform of the overseas Toyota Alphard, the new concept teaser reveals a van-based design with six wheels.

Lexus LS sedan could be rebooted as a six-wheeled people mover, concept hints

Up front, the new concept carries a traditional people mover profile, with a bonnet and windscreen that form a single angled plane leading up to the roof.

At the rear, though, the LS Concept breaks from tradition with a dual-axle rear that places two smaller-diameter wheels on each side.

Other details of the LS Concept are obscured in the shadowy teaser video accompanying the show preview, apart from the use of a side sliding door, typical of rival luxury minivans.

The preview also reveals vertical lighting signatures at the front and rear, in a break from the horizontal light bars used on the current Lexus range.

Lexus LS sedan could be rebooted as a six-wheeled people mover, concept hints

Simon Humphries, Toyota’s chief branding officer, also said in the video that the six-wheel design opened up the opportunity for a larger, more spacious interior.

“There are many practical advantages,” Humphries said. “And the company said, ‘Hey, that’s good. Let’s do it.’”

While only a design concept at this stage, the LS Concept previews potential future directions for a future Lexus flagship.

“It won’t be a sedan, and it won’t be an SUV either. It’s going to be something entirely new, perhaps a premium three-row layout,” Toyoda said.

Lexus LS sedan could be rebooted as a six-wheeled people mover, concept hints

“We don’t know yet if it’s fully possible. But this is beyond a concept. We’re seriously working on it.”

While not expressly addressed in the Toyota presentation video, the change to a people mover design shows the strength of the luxury 'minivan' segment in China, a key market for prestige brands.

While some are sold here – such as the Zeekr 009, with the XPeng X9 coming soon – luxury brands like Buick and Volvo, and Chinese brands including Denza, Hongqi and Trumpchi, all have a presence in the luxury MPV market in China.

The Lexus concept could be Toyota’s attempt to explore the potential for a flagship people mover to sit above the current LM, and keep the LS nameplate alive.

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Kez Casey

Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.

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