New Lexus LS Coupe Concept previews future Range Rover Sport rival

Primed to take over as the flagship model within the Lexus range is a brand-new SUV to rival cars such as the Audi Q8, Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport. The Lexus LS Coupe Concept is still just a show car at this stage, but the production version will take over from the LS saloon as the pinnacle in the range, moving Lexus – like customers in this area of the market – away from traditional four-door saloons. 

The unashamed pivot towards a higher-volume segment – high-end SUVs – will mean the future production model sits above the existing RX in the Lexus range. It will also take a considerably more road-focused approach than the GX off-roader available in overseas markets.

However, where other Lexus SUVs have generally been derived from relatively mainstream Toyota foundations (as was the LS saloon), the new LS Coupe SUV will be based on an electric car architecture developed primarily for Lexus models. Beyond this, the concept also reveals an evolution of Lexus’s exterior design language, plus a brand-new interior we’ll see in all future models. 

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What’s the big deal about an LS SUV?

Lexus has always previously kept the LS badge for its highest-ranking models, with lots of bespoke engineering and exceptional quality inside and out. This is expected to be no different for the future LS SUV. 

The exterior design introduces a new expression for the front end that reinterprets the traditional Spindle grille with lighting around the nose’s edge, rather than a physical grille. The headlights then tuck into these large lighting elements, with an expressive surface inside the main space. 

Toyota Europe’s chief of design, Lance Scott, told Auto Express: “The Spindle grille has been a good tool for awareness. We don’t want to forget about it, but we do want to evolve it. One of the ways we thought of doing that was more light, and even then we disconnected it. You can still see the Spindle, but it’s a bit more 'interpretive'."

The overall shape is otherwise an evolution of Lexus’ recent design language seen in the Lexus Sport Concept, with bodywork that looks imposing without being too aggressive. The sloping roofline includes a large windscreen that extends beyond the front seats, plus a further glass roof panel. 

Controversially, the concept does without a rear windscreen, and the tailgate is a sliding shelf that opens horizontally. We believe the shelf is just there for concept-car drama, but the removal of the rear screen is definitely becoming more common and such a feature could appear on the future road car. 

What does this do for interior space?

The LS Coupe’s sloping roofline might raise questions about rear-seat space, but Lexus told us that there’s more room inside than in the previous LS saloon. The concept’s interior design and materials are inspired by high-end Japanese craftsmanship, but the more relevant feature of the concept is a new digital interface that will be applied to all future Lexus models. 

This sees the main driver’s digital interface split into two ‘nested displays’. The upper element will show of-the-moment information, such as speed, warnings and next-turn instructions for the navigation – just like a head-up display – with the lower touchscreen folded into a collection of three surfaces. 

The inner section will offer more detailed information for the driver including a map, with the outer edges giving quick access to key driving functions, such as air-conditioning, driver aids and other ancillary elements. 

Scott told Auto Express: “This kind of butterfly-shaped screen is something we’re looking at. We want to create something new, be at the leading edge of the user experience. We’re trying things, we’re going to get feedback. I think this is a waypoint now when it comes to the digital interfaces.” 

Lexus has also introduced a new ‘yoke’-style wheel for this concept, which suggests its steer-by-wire system introduced on the RZ will continue in future Lexus models, including a production LS Coupe. 

Will the long bonnet feature an engine, or motor underneath?

Lexus has been coy about what powers the concept, but the brand’s continued dedication to electric powertrains, and the lack of a physical front grille on this show car, speak volumes about how this previews a new electric flagship for the brand. 

The brand has been hard at work on its own, high-spec all-electric architecture, giving the model the firepower and range it’ll need to rival cars such as the forthcoming Porsche Cayenne EV and BMW’s next-generation X5, possibly extending up to Bentley’s new Urban EV.

However, the LS Coupe won’t be the only reinterpreted LS. To go with this dynamic SUV is an ultra-luxury six-wheeled van designed principally to cart high-net-worth clients around in comfort and privacy.

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