Lexus Will Consider Pickup Truck If Customers Want It

It wouldn't be based on any of the existing Toyota trucks.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Sep 20, 2023 at 4:13am ET

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Not discouraged by the commercial flop that was the Nissan Navara-based Mercedes X-Class, Lexus isn't completely ruling out launching a luxury pickup. Although a fancy truck is currently not in the pipeline, Toyota's premium division isn’t against a posh utilitarian vehicle if customers will want one someday. The surprising disclosure was made by Takashi Watanabe during a press conference held in Japan during which he shared a few other tidbits.

The top brass said that if green-lighted for production, a Lexus ute wouldn't be based on any existing Toyota product. Consequently, it wouldn't have any relation with the likes of the Hilux, Tacoma, or Tundra. In fact, it wouldn't even have a combustion engine at all since the development team would make it purely electric. Watanabe mentioned that while Toyota is in charge of pickup trucks, Lexus wants to cater to a wide audience. If enough people will warrant the development of a truck, it might just happen.

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"If there is a strong need from consumers … for Lexus to release or launch a pickup … it's a matter of a possibility in the future. We will not deny (customers) a Lexus pickup, but as of now we have no such discussions."

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The LM is a prime example of an unconventional Lexus since it's a minivan. The high-end people hauler was launched back in 2019 as a China-focused product before being introduced in other markets. Ironically, the original LM wasn't sold in Japan even though it was produced there. Introduced earlier this year, the second-generation model will be available in over 60 countries, including Japan, Australia, and some European markets.

To some extent, the LFA was also unlike any other Lexus before it. Previewed by the Electrified Sport Concept, an EV follow-up of the V10 supercar will be launched later this decade with a simulated manual gearbox.