2027 Lexus LS Defies Death With New Tweaks, But Not In America

• The 2027 Lexus LS gets suspension, steering, and structural tweaks to improve comfort and handling.
• Lexus keeps the aging flagship sedan alive in Japan with the 500h available in three trim levels and a choice between RWD and AWD.
• With a couple of concept cars, Lexus has suggested it will repurpose the LS name for something very different from a sedan.

The LS refuses to go quietly into the night. While the flagship sedan has already been axed in the United States and other markets, it’s still very much alive in Japan. Not only that, but Lexus has just introduced another round of updates for the aging full-size luxury sedan. Okay, the latest changes are hardly enough to qualify as a full refresh, but they show Toyota’s luxury brand isn’t quite ready to pull the plug on the LS in its home market.

The 2027 model year brings revisions aimed at improving both ride comfort and handling, with engineers reinforcing the center tunnel in addition to the front and rear ends. Lexus has also fitted its rear suspension and luggage braces with a response-enhancing damping structure designed to reduce high-frequency vibrations.

The suspension and electric power steering have also been retuned for the new model year to deliver a more natural steering feel and more linear responses. Lexus claims the changes are intended to reduce body roll and pitch while making the car feel flatter and more reassuring through corners.

2027 Lexus LS (Japan)

Photo by: Lexus

2027 Lexus LS: Even More Changes

The LS also gets a few cosmetic and comfort upgrades. A panoramic roof is now available across the lineup as an option, complete with a mesh deflector designed to reduce wind noise when the roof is open. At the back, the traditional logo has made way for the Lexus script, following a trend many automakers have embraced for some reason. Inside, the range-topping trim gets cut-glass trim and more leather upholstery color choices.

The 2027 Lexus LS is available in the Land of the Rising Sun exclusively as the 500h, with a hybrid 3.5-liter V6 engine sending power to either two or all four wheels. Customers can pick from F Sport, Version L, and Executive grades, with pricing ranging from 14,140,000 to 18,050,000 yen. At current exchange rates, that works out to roughly $91,700 to $117,000, respectively.

The situation is rather different in the United States. Lexus turned the 2026 LS into a farewell act, offering the LS 500 exclusively in Heritage Edition guise and limiting production to just 250 examples. Lexus explicitly described it as a final-year tribute to the flagship that helped establish the brand back in 1989.

2027 Lexus LS (Japan)

Photo by: Lexus

The LS And IS Are Both Way Past Their Prime

Nearly a decade old, the fifth-generation LS may have lost its battle for relevance in America, but Lexus is keeping the sedan alive in Japan. It’s an unusual decision at a time when SUVs and electrification are increasingly squeezing out large luxury sedans. And the LS isn’t the only old-school sedan hanging around. The considerably smaller IS is still on sale in the U.S., where there’s even a new special edition for 2027.

However, the writing may be on the wall for both. Lexus hasn’t said anything about giving the 13-year-old IS a direct successor, while the bigger sedan is likely to make way for a new family of rather strange-looking LS-badged models. We’ve seen striking concepts of a huge minivan and a coupe-ish SUV in a bid to show that the parent company wants its luxury division to “move more freely” and “push forward as a pioneer,” according to Toyota’s Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries.

As a result, the new ES is likely to carry the sedan torch for Lexus.

2027 Lexus LS (Japan)

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Source: Lexus

Motor1’s Take: There’s something oddly reassuring about seeing the LS soldier on in Japan. The flagship sedan may be yesterday’s news in America, but Lexus clearly isn’t ready to abandon the nameplate altogether. These updates aren’t exactly a second wind for the fifth-generation car, but they do show there’s still enough demand in its home market to justify keeping it around a little longer.

Still, the LS’s days appear numbered. Lexus is increasingly looking toward SUVs and more unconventional body styles, while the ES is better positioned to serve as the brand’s conventional sedan going forward. For now, though, the LS gets to enjoy a little more time in the spotlight. And considering how quickly traditional luxury sedans are disappearing, that’s worth celebrating.

The Next Lexus LS Could Be Way Different:

The Lexus LS Coupe Concept Isn't Really a Coupe But That's Ok

The Lexus LS Concept Reinvents the Flagship as Six-Wheel Minivan