Toyota is officially having a moment, and it’s one that should make the folks in Detroit a little nervous. Last year, Toyota secured a silver medal in the US market with 2.518 million deliveries. While GM still holds the throne with 2.85 million units, Toyota’s 8% growth rate managed to embarrass the 6% increases seen at both GM and Ford. Essentially, the Japanese automaker has wedged itself firmly between the two Detroit giants, proving that reliability might actually be a better sales tactic than reinventing the wheel every six months.
The star of the show wasn’t just the main Toyota brand, which moved a massive 2.148 million vehicles. Lexus chipped in with a record-breaking 370,260 units, growing by 7.1% and coming within a hair’s breadth of BMW’s 375,000-unit lead in the luxury segment.
To keep this momentum going into 2026, Lexus is preparing a two-pronged attack on the luxury sedan market. The eighth-generation Lexus ES, which will embrace hybrid and electric powertrains, and the veteran Lexus IS, which is receiving yet another mid-cycle facelift to keep it from looking its age.
The digital world is more excited about the Lexus IS than the sensible ES. Virtual artist Kelsonik has taken the 2026 Lexus IS and transformed it into a stunning (and entirely unofficial) SportCross station wagon.
In his latest CGI renders, this hypothetical wagon screams down highways in a vibrant Sunset Orange, rocking massive concave Y-spoke aftermarket wheels. It’s the kind of car that should have the legendary 5.0-liter V8 engine from the IS 500 F Sport Performance under the hood.
Back in the cold world of reality, the 2026 Lexus IS refresh is playing it safe. Forget the V8 dreams. The updated model will be restricted to the IS 350 trim in both RWD and AWD configurations. This means you’ll have to settle for the 3.5-liter V6 engine and its 311 HP.
