Lexus LS Coupé concept previews luxury SUV rival to Porsche Cayenne
Lexus unveiled three concepts at the Japan Mobility Show designed as reiterations of its first model, the LS saloon...
Much like cat burglars and koala bears, the Lexus LS Coupé concept is something of a misnomer – because in reality, it’s not really a coupé as much as it is a high-riding luxury SUV.
Unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show this week, the LS Coupé concept is one of three re-imaginings of the Lexus LS saloon, which was taken off sale earlier this year after having been on sale for 36 years. It’s a testament to the ever-decreasing popularity of low-slung saloons, and the ever-increasing popularity of chunky SUVs. The LS Coupé concept was showcased alongside the LS MPV and Micro LS concepts – more on those later.
The LS Coupé takes the form of a rakish sports SUV, with a sloping coupé-style roofline and an imposing stance. Notably, the concept goes without a rear windscreen – as controversially seen on some newer releases from other manufacturers.
While it’s strictly only in concept form at the moment, the LS Coupé could represent a future rival to the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and BMW iX should it go into production.
Technical details are thin on the ground at the moment, so it’s unclear whether the LS Coupé will be an all-electric offering or if it will keep the combustion engine alive. However, it would make sense for any production model to be electric and share underpinnings with the smaller Lexus RZ electric SUV – which uses a modular platform from sister brand Toyota. For reference, that model can officially manage up to 353 miles on a single charge and facilitates both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.
Inside, the LS Coupé concept gets three widescreen displays – two stacked on top of each other in front of the driver, and one that folds away for the passenger. There’s a yoke-style steering wheel that implies the concept could use the RZ’s steer-by-wire system, which uses electrical signals to control the wheels rather than a mechanical connection from the steering wheel.
Rear passengers receive large screens integrated into the seats in front of them. There’s also a drone that can be deployed from the rear of the car and record a journey. Of course, these features would be unlikely to make it to production.
Should the LS Coupé concept go into production at some point in the future, it would likely serve as an all-electric equivalent to the RX SUV.
The LS Coupé concept was joined by an LS MPV concept at the Japan Mobility Show: a six-wheeled reimagining of the LS saloon likely designed to appeal to the rising popularity of MPVs in China.
Lexus offers the LM MPV here in Europe, though it could introduce the LS MPV as a range-topping option above that model. It gets a similar-style yoke steering wheel as the Coupé concept as well as a large panoramic driver’s display.
Alongside those two models was the Micro LS, a self-driving one-seater luxury “saloon”. It has three wheels and is designed to be a luxury take on the dinky city car, with an armchair-style seat and a slide-out luggage compartment. Instead of a steering wheel, it receives a large portrait-oriented control screen. We'd be very surprised if this ever went into production, though.
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