Dead in America, the Lexus LS Goes Hybrid-Only Overseas

The Lexus LS is finished in the U.S., but it continues in Japan for 2027 as a hybrid-only sedan with a stiffer body, retuned suspension and an optional panoramic sunroof.

The twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 that powered the LS 500 is retired, which leaves the LS 500h as the only version, with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. The 2027 LS will not be sold in the U.S., where the 2026 Heritage Edition was the final model.

CarExpert reported the update on September 12, after the car was revealed in Japan. The LS 500h pairs a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 rated at 220 kW (295 horsepower) and 356 Nm (263 lb-ft) with a 132-kW electric motor, a lithium-ion battery and a 10-speed automatic. Lexus Australia quotes a combined system output of 264 kW, or about 354 horsepower.

Most of the work went into the chassis. The Japanese-market car gets a reinforced center tunnel and a rear suspension brace and luggage-area brace made from thermosetting resin, which Lexus says cuts high-frequency vibration and improves handling and ride. The adaptive suspension and electric power steering are retuned for a more natural steering feel, with less body roll and pitch.

The visual changes are small. A panoramic sunroof joins the options list alongside the single-pane sunroof, and the L emblem on the trunk lid is replaced by a Lexus wordmark. The interior is essentially unchanged, including its 12.3-inch touchscreen, and the 2027 car doesn’t get Lexus’s new Arene software or Lexus Safety System+ 4.0.

Australia will follow Japan’s lead. CarExpert said Lexus Australia will also switch to hybrid-only LS sedans, all rear-wheel drive, with updated cars due toward the end of the year, and that it is dropping gas-only versions of the RX as well, citing "customer preferences."

American buyers lost the LS after a steep slide. Carscoops reported in September 2025 that Lexus would retire the LS in the U.S. after 2026, sending it off with 250 Heritage Edition LS 500 AWD sedans using the 416-horsepower twin-turbo V6. Toyota Motor North America’s third-quarter report shows 150 LS sales through September 2026, down from 894 in the same period of 2025.

The Toyota Report Take

It’s a little painful to watch Lexus keep improving the LS for other markets right after giving up on it here. The 2027 changes are sensible ones, because a quieter, better-riding hybrid is exactly what a chauffeur-driven sedan needs. Still, the missing Safety System+ 4.0 and Arene software show that this is an LS being kept alive rather than pushed forward, and the six-wheeled LS Concept is a clearer picture of where Lexus wants its flagship to go.