Toyota’s luxury Lexus division has announced it will discontinue the IS sedan model in South Africa at the end of the year as the brand intensifies its focus on SUVs.
Production of the current-generation IS is ending globally in late 2025 and it isn't known whether there will be a successor. Demand for the IS has slowed in recent years as the swing from sedans to SUVs and crossovers has taken a toll on sales of mid-size luxury sedans.
However, the larger ES will remain the brand’s sole sedan offering and, for the first time, will include a fully electric variant.
The ES was introduced locally in 2018 and the new eighth-generation ES made its global debut at April’s 2025 Shanghai Auto Show with a sportier design, new platform and a broader power train offering as part of the Japanese brand’s electrification strategy.
The new ES takes design cues from the radical LF-ZC concept, adopting a sleeker more aerodynamic profile.
Lexus has introduced new interior trims, including bamboo layering and micro geometric detailing and a fragrance system with bamboo-based scents.
The new ES will no longer be available as a pure internal combustion engine car, with all models to be petrol-electric hybrids or fully electric.
These include the ES 300h with a 2.0l hybrid power train and the ES 350h with a larger 2.5l hybrid engine and optional all-wheel drive. Two battery-electric variants — the ES 350e and ES 500e — are also on offer, with the latter featuring all-wheel drive.
The exact model range for South Africa and the pricing will be confirmed closer to the 2026 launch.
The outgoing Lexus IS was introduced in South Africa in 1999 as a rival to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the once-popular compact luxury sedan category.
Initially launched as the IS 200 with a 2.0l engine, it gained more power in successive generations, including a small batch of IS-F high-performance models powered by a potent 5l V8 engine in 2010.
The third-generation IS is available as a 300h petrol-electric hybrid with a 2.5l engine. The IS has sold more than 9,000 units in the past 26 years but sales have slowed to a trickle as SUVs such as the NX and the recently-launched GX 550 have taken over as the brand’s most popular models.
Despite the luxury car market being under increased pressure due to an affordability crisis, Lexus has grown its local share in the segment from 1.9% to 3.5% since 2021, said Glenn Crompton, VP of marketing at Toyota SA Motors.
The achievement has been driven by the launch of new model ranges and the introduction of off-road focused Overtrail variants of the GX550 and LX, which have proven popular.
Crompton said other new models on the horizon include the new-generation Lexus RZ SUV, which will be available solely as a battery electric vehicle, with no petrol or hybrid options offered.
The Lexus RZ 450e, based on the electric Toyota bZ4X, will be launched in 2026 at a price to be confirmed. It has an estimated single-charge range of 400km and features a novel yoke-like steering control.
Lexus is reimagining its showroom designs in South Africa, moving away from traditional sales cubicles to offer upscale lounges and stylish meeting rooms with coffee, art and cultural elements.
Halfway Lexus Pretoria and SMG Lexus Umhlanga are the first two dealers with the new design philosophy, which will be rolled out to other showrooms.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.