Lexus GS sedan to be killed off

Toyota will pull the plug on the slow-selling Lexus GS sedan within months, following official confirmation that production of the large luxury sedan will end in August.

Lexus made the announcement on April 23, when it revealed a range of Lexus GS 'Eternal Touring' special-editions, which will go on sale in Japan on June 1.

Lexus said that a slump in sales is the main contributing factor for the demise of the Lexus GS -- especially in the US, where sales have reportedly dropped from a peak of 33,457 in 2005 to just 3378 cars last year.

Today, global sales of the Lexus GS are less than 10 per cent of those of the Lexus ES, which is a front-wheel drive model based on the Camry platform and therefore cheaper to produce.

Toyota says both the mid-size IS and the large ES sedan will fill the void left by the GS in the Lexus range.

The latest Lexus ES was launched in 2018, while the rear-drive IS will reportedly grow in length as part of a facelift due later this year.

As well as the IS/ES, Toyota is apparently also keen for Lexus to spin-off a pricier, more luxurious version its next-gen Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.

The original Lexus GS first appeared in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo before being renamed in 1993. It survived through four generations, which the latest version launching in 2012.

It's not yet known when supplies of the Lexus GS will run out but, according to Yahoo Japan, Lexus will close the order book for both the mainstream GS models and and the V8-powered GS F flagship this June, before production ceases at the car-maker's Motomachi plant in August.