bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

saw a huge billboard for lexus talking about 'electrified' vehicles and someone I was with said 'oh Lexus IS already offering electric vehicles?' so their FUD with hybrids and PHEVs is working.

it could turn out lexus becomes a huge winner with hybrids and phevs for the MILLIONS of people for which an ev just won't work well (yet) until their BEVs arrive.

Carmaker1

December 2021 Presentation of Future Lexus EVs and FWD ICE Products

Random thing to bring up, but 12 months ago when I first saw this presentation, I was both gobsmacked and gradually skeptical of these vehicles hidden in the background. We all figured out obviously these were ICE products, but some ringed maybe slapped together or fake overall.

December 2021 Image of 2023 Lexus RX

April 2022 Spy Shot of 2023 Lexus RX

I personally took this stance quietly with the 2023 RX, that is until I saw the first spy shots months later in early April 2022 IIRC. Once I saw them and then the June reveal, it became obvious to me Toyoda was not joking one bit and basically revealed half of his upcoming Lexus product lineup, through maybe 2025MY. The RX was ultimately reflective of the production vehicle indeed and not a fake teaser, only obscuring the production grille deliberately. I had written it off foolishly, in looking way too much like the outgoing 4th generation AL20. Like a placeholder caricature, but nope it was real as can be. So what did that mean for the other vehicles then?

December 2021 Image of 2024 Lexus TX


You can see the then newly launched NX is present and maybe updated 2023 UX not covered up much, but some others there rang suspect.

December 2021 Image of 2025 Lexus ES

(Clearly one is the 2024 TX, as Lexus considers the GX too good of a gem to be publicized so early.)
The ES in the background looked ugly and I thought slapped together as well, but a number of us noticed that the DLO area is now different compared to the current ES. From what I see on my end, Job 1 dat for the next ES is around September 2024. I am surprised Lexus might have shown this 2025 MY vehicle in this fashion, during the-then ongoing styling process or after it had barely gotten production approval. Typically something riding on the same or updated version of the same platform, doesn't require as much lead time as an all new design (2ish years vs 3ish years), so I found it unlikely that Lexus had already finalized the design of the 2025 ES by December 2021.

But then I remember now, it's not outlandish, if it's 33 months ahead of Job 1. Doesn't make sense to reveal it in any form, if not due for 3 more years in dealers. The 2018 Camry body was practically a done deal in December 2014, even though it came out almost 3 years later.

I guess the stakes are not so high with ICE redesigns, that it's not worth hiding it from view. So basically the 2025 ES, was teased 3 years early.

We can tell that lineup shown is likely incomplete, as there is deliberately no GX present nor LS. LS future is a mystery, while GX is a known entity in some capacity. RC was said to have some sort of future in 2 years time, while IS was possibly once a 2024MY back in 2019, after the mega facelift and removal from other markets. IDK about that, as it's pretty silent. Both IS and LS. IS looks a lot like the EV here, while nothing points to the LS. LS is 99% likely getting attention for 2025, as I'm not certain about a second refresh for 2024. LC just seems like it will never get a mid-cycle update like planned and just be replaced by an EV sportster later on.


The presentation deliberately omitted ALL RWD-based products from the background, showing only ICE models that are FWD in basis. So what is this vehicle again I am wondering? The proposed CT replacement and/or GA-B crossover for ROW? IS, RC, LS, RC, GX, and LX are the only vehicles not shown, again very deliberately...

703

That’s the CT replacement using the Prius drivetrain.