At the Japan Mobility Show, Lexus showcased its boldest transformation yet — from cars to experiences, from land to sea and sky — as President Takashi Watanabe declared this the beginning of a new era for the brand.
30 Oct 2025 | 1812 Views | By Ketan Thakkar
Lexus’ global chief has described the Japanese luxury brand’s current reorganisation and product reinvention as a defining “rebirth” moment, as it pivots toward electrification, new mobility formats, and a broader lifestyle-driven identity within the Toyota Group.
In an interview with Autocar Professional at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, Lexus ...
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Lexus’ global chief has described the Japanese luxury brand’s current reorganisation and product reinvention as a defining “rebirth” moment, as it pivots toward electrification, new mobility formats, and a broader lifestyle-driven identity within the Toyota Group.
In an interview with Autocar Professional at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, Lexus President Takashi Watanabe said the company’s transition to full electrification is not merely a compliance measure but a strategy to redefine the value of luxury through design, technology, and user experience. “Reborn, perhaps, might be a better expression,” he said. “If we continue to protect our old image and constraints, we will never expand or grow.”
Clearer Roles Within the Toyota Group
The Lexus President also pointed to Toyota Motor Corporation’s decision to formalise Century as a distinct luxury brand, carrying Japanese heritage and craftsmanship forward. He said this “frees Lexus to focus purely on the future — exploring new technologies, forms, and experiences.”“Century will preserve tradition and legacy. Lexus will represent innovation and possibility,” he added.
The evolution of the LS — once Lexus’ traditional sedan flagship — captures this transition. The electrified LS concept, including a chauffeur-oriented model and a coupe design study, symbolises the brand’s broader departure from convention.
Repositioning Lexus Beyond the Automobile
He explained that Lexus’ future product strategy will no longer be limited by traditional body styles such as sedans or SUVs. Instead, the brand is focused on creating new experiences, integrating different forms of mobility — from cars to micromobility and marine applications — under a unified Lexus design and emotional language.“We’re not thinking about products based on shape or form. It’s about what kind of experiences and values we want to create and then designing mobility that expresses that uniquely Lexus,” he said.
At Tokyo’s 2025 Japan Mobility Show, Lexus used the theme “Reborn and Discover” to preview this transformation through the LS Coupe Concept and Luxury Space six-wheel flagship, alongside advanced Sport Concept and Joby air-mobility collaborations. Each is positioned to demonstrate how luxury, utility, and sustainability can coexist in the brand’s next chapter.
Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries, presenting the new concepts at the show, said Lexus is redefining luxury “not as a car but as a space,” expanding its vision from land to sea and sky to embody “360-degree mobility.” The exhibits underlined Lexus’s shift from a premium carmaker to a lifestyle-mobility brand, aligning design, electrification, and experiential innovation as the core of its next growth cycle.
Lexus enters the 2025 Japan Mobility Show on the back of its strongest business run in history. In 2024, the brand delivered a record 851,214 vehicles worldwide, up 3.3 percent year-on-year, driven by rising hybrid and BEV demand in North America and Europe. Over the past 18 months, the brand has strengthened margins and scale while preparing for a generational design and technology reset.
Electrification as an Enabler, Not an End
Lexus sees electrification as a creative enabler rather than a constraint. “Electrification allows us to create new value,” the President said, adding that the brand intends to use technology to enhance emotional connection, convenience, and performance.
While global luxury markets face rising competition from European incumbents and emerging Chinese EV players, Lexus aims to distinguish itself through craftsmanship, quiet design confidence, and a focus on how customers experience mobility rather than merely using it.
As the brand steps into this phase, the President summed up the sentiment succinctly. “It’s not just another chapter. It’s Lexus being reborn.”