Lexus took its sweet time announcing 2025 numbers. Turns out, they had good reason to let the suspense build: sales hit a record 882,231 units, up 4% from the previous year. North America alone accounted for nearly half of that haul. 408,070 vehicles, a 7.5% bump that suggests Americans still can’t resist the Toyota luxury badge with Japanese reliability underneath.
Growth spread across most major markets, though Europe proved stubbornly resistant, dipping 2.3% to 80,686 units. Perhaps Europeans prefer their luxury with a bit more accent on the first syllable. Africa, meanwhile, posted an 18.8% surge to 1,485 units. Small in absolute terms, but enough to make someone in Toyota’s marketing department start daydreaming about untapped potential. Central and South America chipped in with a 13.8% increase, reaching 4,684 deliveries.
Electrification played the leading role in this success story. Over half of Lexus vehicles sold were electrified marking a 52% share, a company record. Demand for battery-electric models more than doubled, up 119%, driven mainly by the RZ and UX300e. The compact crossover LBX and the LM minivan also found their audiences, while stalwarts like the RX and NX continued doing what they do best: selling.
These record-breaking results arrive just as Toyota’s luxury arm prepares to torch its own playbook. Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries recently declared that Lexus will “proceed as a pioneer” and “move more freely”.
The LS sedan, the car that started it all back in 1989, is being retired. Lexus plans to resurrect the name for a whole family of increasingly unconventional vehicles. Among them, a six-wheeled minivan, because apparently four wheels are so last century, and a coupé-shaped SUV with rear-hinged doors and a pull-out cargo bay.
Whether this bold new direction spreads to the rest of the lineup remains unclear. Toyota is smart enough not to mess too much with a winning formula. After all, 2025 marked the third consecutive year of record sales. Still, the company seems intent on testing how far it can push boundaries before customers start asking “uncomfortable questions”.
Meanwhile, Century has split off into its own sub-brand, taking direct aim at Rolls-Royce with an imposing coupé concept. Toyota isn’t just content dominating the mass market anymore. It wants a piece of the super-luxury pie too.
