Lexus to introduce a mildly updated LS in Japan and Australia. The 2027 lineup will be hybrid-only, focused on high-end trims. Sedan to give way to a six-wheeled minivan in the long term. The Lexus LS has been living through a messy, drawn-out retirement. The flagship sedan is already gone in the UK and left North America after the 2026MY with a limited Heritage Edition, yet elsewhere the car soldiers on. Lexus has now confirmed the LS will remain on sale in Australia through 2027, matching reports of another model-year update in Japan. The fifth-generation LS debuted back in 2017, meaning it will be ten years old next year. The automaker keeps updating it to keep it relevant, but its future is quite uncertain. The Lexus LS Concept that debuted in late 2025 proposed a wild future for the nameplate, which could turn it into an electric six-wheeled minivan. More: Lexus Killed Its Next EV Sedan, Then Approved Its Replacement The Same Day While a production version of the futuristic concept is still several years away, the current sedan hasn’t quite said its last words. Speaking to CarExpert.com.au, a Lexus Australia spokesperson confirmed the LS “will receive a minor technical update with updated vehicles due to go on sale in Australia towards the end of the year”. Japan Is Getting It First Japanese outlet Creative Trend recently laid out the coming changes for the LS, due to break cover on September 10. They should run deeper than the 2026 tweaks did, bringing more standard equipment along with a handful of revisions beneath the surface. More: Lexus Engineers Couldn’t Stop Fighting Over The New ES, And It Wasn’t Power Or Screens The Japanese range will reportedly shrink to the high-end F Sport, Version L, and Executive trims, with the entry-level car dropped. On the outside, the sedan might wear Lexus lettering across the tailgate in place of the familiar L badge. The company is also said to be adding a panoramic glass roof to the options list while making the current tilt-and-slide moonroof standard. Unfortunately, the LS won’t inherit the new tech from the smaller ES, which now serves as the brand’s flagship sedan in other markets. The aging model is expected to keep its existing safety kit and dual 12.3-inch displays rather than migrating to the latest Lexus Safety System+ 4.0 and the new 14-inch infotainment running Arene software. A Hybrid-Only Lineup The bigger news is under the skin. The LS 500 with its non-hybrid twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 is rumored for the chop, leaving the LS 500h as the only choice. That electrified setup pairs a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 with dual electric motors for a combined 354 hp (264 kW / 359 PS). More: Before Lexus Turns The LS Into A Minivan, They Turned A Minivan Into A Sedan Furthermore, the same report says that the platform could gain structural reinforcements along the floor tunnel and vibration-absorbing materials for the rear crossmember, resulting in improved steering feedback and an even more refined ride. Finally, the F Sport could swap the staggered tire configuration for a uniform setup that complies with Japan’s strict drive-by noise regulations. The Australian-spec LS should inherit these same changes from its right-hand-drive Japanese sibling, earning another lease of life. Whether this turns out to be the flagship’s final year before Lexus sends it to the automotive graveyard remains to be seen, at least until the storied nameplate returns in an entirely different form. Lexus
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