\u201cI want to challenge your perception of what a luxury brand can be.\u201d Simon Humphries, Chief Branding Officer and head of design in the Toyota group, thus introduces \u201cDiscover\u201d, a journey to explore the new aesthetic and formal direction of design for Lexus. The creation of Century – that has become a brand at the peak of the Japanese group – allows for unheard-of explorations for Lexus, that Humphries does not hesitate to define \u201cadventurous and innovative with the explicit goal of helping our customers discover a new luxury lifestyle\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![\"Lexus](\"https:\/\/autodesignmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026010902_LexusJMS2025.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Luxury sedan<\/strong><\/span> The changement into a people carrier<\/strong><\/span> Japan-France collaboration<\/strong><\/span>
\nMuch more than a declaration of intent: this is demonstrated by the models unveiled by Lexus at the Tokyo Mobility Show, fruit of the joint effort of all Toyota design centres worldwide. Surprising above all others is the LS Concept, a hypothetical flagship model of the marque. Since the first LS was launched, in 1989, the acronym has always meant \u2018luxury sedan\u2019, \u201cit was the age in which executive sedans dominated that market segment – now they are fighting a losing battle against SUVs and people desire different experiences\u201d, Humphries explains again.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\nAnd so the LS becomes Luxury Space. With a quantum leap into modernity, the flagship of the range changes into a people carrier dominated by geometrical forms inspired by urban architecture. A living space on wheels (these are actually six, with the rear ones of small diameter to reduce the interior encumbrance and allow an easy on-board access), that opens laterally to teleport the occupants into a private space, a home extension with bamboo walls and mother-of-pearl inlays.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\nThe request to come up with such a vehicle came directly from Akio Toyoda, chairman of the Toyota group, and whose indications guided the research of the team led by Koichi Suga, general manager of Lexus design, operating in Japan at the Shimoyama technical centre, with the help of the Toyota Europe Design Development (EDD) studio, located near Nice, France, and directed by Lance Scott.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>