Lexus Teaser Appears to Be Showcasing New BEV… Right?

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Lexus issued a teaser this week and it took a few passes before we could identify it as a vehicle. Initially, your dim-witted author presumed it was some kind of at-home charging solution or wildly modern vacuum cleaner design. Lexus’ tagline wasn’t much help, either. “The Future is Electrified” is boilerplate content for the automotive industry right now — or perhaps some highly contagious corporate tic.

This time it’s being used to preview a new battery electric vehicle Toyota’s luxury arm intends on debuting at the Tokyo Motor Show this month… at least that’s what we’ve been told.

Honestly, it’s still a little difficult to tell. While it seems as though we’re getting a close-up glimpse of the portion surrounding the model’s headlight, there are factors at play that make it hard to feel certain of anything. Is that giant opening supposed to be an air inlet? Where does it lead on this purely electric vehicle? Is this even the car’s front?

All Lexus has said is that the model is a concept vehicle “leveraging continued advances in technologies such as electrification and autonomous driving.” While not the most original or descriptive copy the industry has churned out over the last few years, it’s not fair to complain about vagaries surrounding an intentionally mysterious car.

We’re not even going to proclaim this as company’s first BEV, as there’s been no production announcement made. If anything, we imagine Lexus wants to use this creation to test a new design theory or signature feature on the public. Touting any future commitments to electrification is just icing on the cake — but we’ll have to wait and see. There’s always a chance this covert concept could be foreshadowing something the automaker actually wants to put into production.

We’ll know more on October 24th after Lexus has pulled the covers off in Japan.

[Image: Lexus]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Oct 12, 2019

    In the old days, Styling would come up with angles like that and Stamping would come back with 'No, you can't have that' - because of the severity of the angle or the draw depth or what have you. (Not saying the old days were better - the old days had their own problems.)

  • SPPPP SPPPP on Oct 14, 2019

    As a concept vehicle, it may have no relevance to production plans, correct? It appears that the entire vehicle is shown in miniature in a reflection in the bubbles in the upper left of the still frame. In case anyone cares to see it.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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