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Ideas as wild as a six-wheeled people mover – and a business-class seat in a box – are on the cards for what will continue the Lexus LS sedan's badge into the next decade.
Lexus could turn its flagship LS sedan into a coupe-styled SUV, a six-wheeled luxury people mover, or a single-seat pod, as three ideas floated for the future of the company's top-of-the-range model.
The prestige division of Toyota used the Tokyo motor show to reveal a trio of concepts that point to the successor to the LS limousine, of which Australians have purchased just 10 so far this year.
The LS Concept interprets the sedan's badge as 'Luxury Space' in the form of a flagship people mover with seven seats – and six wheels – that prioritises passenger comfort and space above all else.
Most likely for showrooms – if Japanese media reports prove accurate – is the LS Coupe Concept, an SUV that hints at a car-derived high-riding Lexus flagship to join the ladder-frame, off-road-capable LX four-wheel-drive.
The craziest of the bunch is the LS Micro Concept, a single-seat autonomous pod that surrounds a business-class-esque seat in a tiny box on wheels lined with the same creature comforts as large Lexus cars.
Revealed alongside an updated Lexus Sport Concept supercar, all three LS show cars are presumed to be electric.
Either way, change is needed for the LS sedan, which operates in a segment of the market that's "fighting a losing battle", president of Toyota's CALTY design studio in California, Ian Cartabiano, told a media preview ahead of the motor show.
"It's clear we needed to embrace the challenge and take LS in a new direction," he said.
The LS reboot forms part of a brand 'repositioning' for Lexus, from a staid seller of prestige cars to rival BMW and Audi, into the most innovative and "adventurous" division of the Toyota group, willing to invest in unconventional cars.
As part of the change, Toyota will spin its Century line of Japanese-market super-luxury cars into its own brand earmarked for global sale, rivalling Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Lexus LS Concept people mover
Teased earlier this month, the people-mover concept is the only one of the three show cars to carry the LS name without any other designation indicating its body style.
It suggests it is the lead concept of the three, and the primary vision for the future of the LS badge, which Lexus now imagines as short for 'Luxury Space', not 'Luxury Sedan'.
It draws attention for its six-wheeled design, which the brand says allows for improved interior packaging to fit seven seats in a two-two-three layout.
The middle seats can swivel to face the rear-most chairs, accessed by dual sliding side doors, and all offered armrests, bamboo-effect window blinds, and a dual-pane glass roof that covers the rear passenger cabin.
Up front, two curved screens sit ahead of the driver, with shortcut controls on either side of the 'yoke' aircraft-style steering wheel for air conditioning, media, and door controls.
Lighting is used in place of chrome on the outside, with a new interpretation of the brand's 'spindle grille' front-end styling, and U-shaped tail-lights that surround a glass tailgate.
The LS Coupe Concept is the most conventional of the trio, a large SUV with a coupe-inspired rear end, and styling cues that Lexus says borrow from the LC coupe and current LS sedan.
Japanese media reports claim a flagship SUV is the chosen next step for the LS name, as a lower-slung vehicle on a monocoque platform akin to this concept, rather than a body-on-frame off-roader such as today's LX.
The show car wears exaggerated styling cues typically seen on concepts – such as rear-hinged doors to access the second row, and super-sized wheels – but its basic shape looks fit for showrooms.
It wears a different version of the Lexus spindle face – with slim headlights that merge with tall daytime-running lights – plus sharp-edged tail-lights, an integrated rear spoiler, and sharp creases on the side doors.
The boot is accessed through a pull-out drawer, rather than a lift-up tailgate.
Inside, each seat is unique; a more heavily bolstered driver's seat for support in tight corners, a softer front passenger seat with armrests, and a minimalist bench in the second row.
There is a similar dual-widescreen arrangement for the driver, above a similar 'yoke' steering wheel, which gains an 'F-Mode' button, hinting at Lexus' on-hiatus performance brand.
Another large touchscreen for the passenger can emerge from the dashboard on command.
The brand points to details such as the bamboo-effect flooring, Japanese woodcraft techniques used to create the drawer built into the rear-seat base, a drone that deploys from the roof, and accelerator and brake pedals milled from a single block of metal.
The LS Micro Concept is a small, single-seat autonomous "micro-mobility" vehicle intended to allow owners to drive where conventional cars aren't allowed.
It offers the same luxury appointments as full-size Lexus models, with a business-class-like seat, upholstered armrests and storage areas, and bamboo panelling allowing light to shine through.
Information is shown on the glass panel ahead of the occupant, including navigation data and time of arrival for the pod's autonomous functions, controlled via a joystick on the right-side armrest.
Styling draws inspiration from the large LS Concept people mover, with a passenger cabin that "opens like a jewel box," Lexus says, the front of the cabin sliding upwards and backwards to allow access.
It appears to be a three-wheeler – or, at least, a four-wheeler with its two rear tyres in the same housing at the rear – and wears scaled-down versions of the brand's spindle front fascia.
Custom-fitted luggage is included, and if that's not enough, there is an autonomous luggage carrier available to follow the LS Micro around, as well as the ability to use the passenger seat as a wheelchair.
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
