Lexus Teases Six - Wheel Ultraluxury People Mover as Next LS for Japan Mobility Show

Lexus has announced that it will replace the current - generation flagship large - sedan LS with a six - wheel MPV, which has attracted widespread attention.

Last month, Lexus announced that due to the continuous decline in demand for large - sedans in the North American market, the current luxury large - sedan LS will be officially discontinued after this - generation model, and the discontinuation work is expected to last until the beginning of next year. Its successor will be a six - wheel MPV.

Toyota Group Chairman Akio Toyoda said, "Everyone is taking the six - wheel MPV project seriously, and this plan will surely be implemented." According to the design model disclosed by the brand's head, Simon Humphries, the LS concept car adopts a six - seat layout, with spacious legroom in the second and third rows, and the third - row seats are set above the four rear wheels.

The six - wheel design can reduce the diameter of the rear wheels to expand the interior space, but Akio Toyoda admitted that this is a major challenge for Lexus. The brand has established standards in terms of quietness and ride quality, and it remains to be seen whether the six - wheel structure can meet these requirements. Historically, many car companies have tried the six - wheel design but gave up due to structural complexity. The most famous one is the Tyrrell P34 F1 racing car, which had frequent problems of overheating in the front - wheel braking system. However, electric vehicles may be able to avoid the traditional braking problems through the energy - recovery system.

The concept car will also renovate Lexus' design language. Akio Toyoda hinted that the brand's iconic spindle - grille design "has limited room for development", and in the future, the spindle - shaped design concept may be reflected through the overall vehicle shape.

The official preview video of the LS concept car shows that its body is extremely square, and the roof is relatively flat, which is like a mobile living room as a whole. The most shocking thing is that it is equipped with a three - axis six - wheel design, which is almost rare in the luxury - car field. Only a few off - road vehicles (such as the AMG G 63 6x6) or extremely customized works have tried it. The extra axle not only brings visual and mechanical tension but also implies its strong load - bearing and space advantages. In the preview video, the front door on the passenger side seems to be cancelled, replaced by a large - scale electric sliding side door, similar to the layout of a luxury MPV, which makes it easier to enter the rear - seat space.

The concept car also has vertical LED daytime - running lights that run through the front face, and the rear - tail light strip extends upward to echo the height of the vehicle body, which is extremely exaggerated and full of a sense of technology. The overall body lines are square and thick, and at the same time, they have a sense of the future.

Although it still takes time to achieve six - wheel mass - production, Akio Toyoda emphasized that the team is fully promoting this breakthrough concept. The Lexus LS concept car will be officially unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show, which will open on October 29, showing the brand's differentiated strategy from competitors such as the BMW 7 - Series and the Mercedes - Benz S - Class.c