Lexus LS Concept: Luxury Sedan becomes a 6-wheeler MPV
Lexus LS gets a reboot (and two extra tires) for Japan Mobility Show
When Toyota announced Century as the new pinnacle of the brand to represent the best of Japan in the ultra-luxury vehicle market, one question remained: where does that leave Lexus?
Well, they’re not getting “left”, but rather they’ve been freed to be inventive and innovative. And at the Japan Mobility Show, we will see the results of that reimagination of what Lexus should be, one of which will be the revival of the LS.
You’re probably wondering why we’re saying LS when the vehicle in the photos is not a sedan but more of a minivan. The reason is that LS -in Lexus lexicon- will no longer be Luxury Sedan, but rather Luxury Space.
Yeah, Lexus is reimagining the LS as a minivan to suit the lifestyle of modern executives. They say this is the result of a realization that the executive 4-door saloon -once the rulers of the roost when it comes to VIP transport- has been fighting a losing battle against taller, more imposing, and more premium SUVs.
Lexus realized this early, which is why they commissioned the LM from the foundation that is the Toyota Alphard, and it has proven to be extremely successful for the Lexus brand in Japan, the Philippines, and a few other markets that get the vehicle.
Now they’ve embraced this potential for success and will be using the LS for that purpose. The goal is to generate a space where the user -the customer- is teleported to a personal sanctuary on wheels… in this case, six wheels. As to why Lexus opted for two extra wheels is unclear, but what we do know is that the intent was to generate as much interior space as possible, and that means extending the body.
The LS 6-seater is envisioned to be an innovative personal space for the customer that can be configured in so many different ways and with so many options. Given that goal, there will also be extra weight to manage, given a long list of luxurious appointments such as power sliding doors, relaxation seats (albeit futuristic in this concept), advanced features, many screens, acoustic glass, bamboo blinds, and many more. As for powertrains, we expect a wide variety depending on the market. We're quite sure hybrid will be on the options list, and possibly even EV or hydrogen fuel cell in the future.
Lexus also introduced an LS Micro 1-seater 3-wheeler autonomous concept vehicle. Yes, it's a miniaturized and condensed expression of what the LS stands for, and is intended to be a "last mile" type of personal transport for an LS customer in an urban cityscape that may not be ideal for large Lexus vehicles.
Lexus isn’t mentioning much about possible production model development and timelines, but we’re quite sure they have already worked all of that out in secret. If or when the LM -er- LS rolls out with its six wheels, you can be sure that we will be keeping a close eye on it.
