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According to Carscoops, the Lexus LS was the first model to introduce the luxury brand to the UK market in 1990. After more than three decades, the Lexus LS has quietly disappeared from the brand’s UK lineup due to declining sales.
With the discontinuation of the LS, the Lexus ES will be the brand’s sole sedan offering in the UK. The remaining lineup primarily consists of SUVs and crossovers, including the LBX, UX, NX, RZ, and RX, alongside the Lexus LM MPV.
Autocar reports that Lexus sold only three LS units in the UK in 2024. Since 2020, cumulative sales of the Lexus LS in the UK have totaled 39 vehicles, making the large sedan the brand’s slowest-selling model under the Toyota group.
In addition to poor sales, Lexus cites legal challenges and vehicle approval processes as reasons for discontinuing the LS in the UK. The popularity of the Lexus LM MPV among target customers has also significantly reduced demand for the LS sedan.
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When visiting the Lexus UK website, customers are greeted with a notification stating that Lexus has ceased production of the LS for the UK market. At the bottom of the page, the Japanese automaker also provides a link to the Lexus ES, the brand’s only remaining sedan in the UK, with the prompt, “Have you considered the ES as an alternative?”
Prior to its discontinuation, the Lexus LS had a starting price of £101,000 (approximately £125,980) and went up to £128,000 (around £159,660) depending on the trim level. All Lexus LS options in the UK featured the LS 500h self-charging hybrid system, combining a 3.5L V6 engine with two electric motors and all-wheel drive.
Per Carscoops, Lexus continues to sell the LS in Japan, North America, and select European markets. Vietnam is also among the markets where the Lexus LS remains available, currently offering two versions priced at 7.68 billion and 8.39 billion VND, respectively.
The fifth generation of the Lexus LS was introduced in 2017 and received a mid-life update in 2020.
The Lexus LS competes directly with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Audi A8 in the large luxury sedan segment.
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