What is the Toyota luxury car?
The Toyota luxury car is Lexus, Toyota's luxury division that builds premium sedans, SUVs, and performance vehicles under its own brand.
To understand what that means, Lexus was created to compete with established European luxury marques, positioning itself around craftsmanship, reliability, and a refined driving experience. This article explains what Lexus is, its current lineup, and how the brand fits into Toyota's broader strategy for luxury mobility today.
Lexus: Toyota’s luxury arm
Lexus was launched in 1989 as Toyota’s answer to premium brands in Europe and North America. The name, coupled with a focus on quiet comfort, meticulous interior materials, and advanced technology, helped the brand establish a reputation for reliability and refined driving dynamics alongside luxury appointments. Over the decades, Lexus expanded from sedans to a full lineup of SUVs and performance coupes, while continually refining its design language and ownership experience.
Origins and brand philosophy
The Lexus approach centers on quiet, smooth performance, high-quality interiors, and a focus on customer service. The brand has leaned into a philosophy akin to omotenashi—Japanese hospitality—while pursuing innovation in comfort, noise reduction, and reliability. As part of Toyota, Lexus also benefits from the company’s engineering scale in hybrids and electrification, applying its own tuning and refinement to premium segments.
Current lineup and how it defines luxury
Below is a snapshot of core models that shape Lexus’s modern lineup, spanning compact crossovers to flagship sedans and electrified options. This list highlights the range that customers commonly encounter in showrooms worldwide.
- NX — compact luxury SUV
- RX — mid-size luxury SUV
- ES — mid-size luxury sedan
- IS — sporty entry-luxury sedan
- LS — flagship full-size luxury sedan
- LC — grand touring luxury coupe/roofline
- LX — full-size luxury SUV
- RZ 450e — all-electric luxury SUV (Lexus’s first dedicated EV)
Availability and naming can vary by market and model year, as Lexus periodically updates its lineup with new generations, trims, and electrified variants.
Electrification and technology
As part of its modern strategy, Lexus is expanding electrified options across its range while maintaining the brand’s emphasis on comfort, craftsmanship, and safety. The following highlights capture how electrification and technology shape the current experience.
- Hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants are offered across several models, allowing customers to balance performance with improved efficiency.
- RZ 450e marks Lexus’s first dedicated battery-electric vehicle, built on Toyota’s e-TNGA platform, signaling a broader push into electrified luxury.
- Lexus Safety System+ (and its latest evolutions) provides active safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection.
- Premium interior tech and sound systems, including high-quality audio options and advanced driver-assistance features, enhance comfort and convenience.
With annual model-year updates, Lexus continues to refine ride quality, noise isolation, and user experience, aligning with broader Toyota electrification goals while preserving the brand’s distinctive focus on refinement.
Market position and reception
In surveys and ownership studies, Lexus frequently earns strong marks for reliability, resale value, and customer satisfaction. The brand’s emphasis on calm, comfortable cabins, strong build quality, and after-sales support helps it compete with European luxury rivals while offering a distinctive value proposition in the luxury segment.
Summary
Lexus represents Toyota’s luxury arm, delivering premium comfort, innovative technology, and solid reliability across a diverse lineup that ranges from compact crossovers to a flagship sedan and a growing electrified fleet. The brand continues to evolve with electrification, advanced safety, and refined design while staying true to its heritage of craftsmanship and a tranquil ownership experience.
What is the luxury brand of Toyota?
Toyota's primary luxury brand is Lexus, which was launched in 1989 and is now a globally recognized luxury division. Recently, Toyota has also spun off its ultra-luxury Century brand to compete with ultra-high-end brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, positioning it above Lexus.
- Lexus: Launched in 1989 to compete in the luxury market, Lexus offers a wide range of vehicles from compact SUVs to large sedans and has become a major global luxury brand.
- Century: Originally Toyota's flagship car in Japan, Century is now being transformed into a global, ultra-luxury brand to compete with brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Century models will be positioned at a higher price point than Lexus vehicles and will focus on exclusive, handcrafted luxury.
What's the high end version of a Toyota?
Toyota Crown
Toyota Crown
The Crown's standout design, modern technology, and high-end performance make it a prime choice for anyone looking for a Toyota premium car. Premium interiors, a standard 12.3-in.
Which is the luxurious car in Toyota?
The Toyota Century is Toyota's most luxurious car, positioned above the Lexus brand as an ultra-luxury model with a focus on handcrafted quality and passenger comfort. It is designed to rival brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The newest generation features a hybrid powertrain, handcrafted details, and amenities focused on the rear passengers.
- Exclusive, understated luxury: The Century is known for its understated, elegant design and focus on serenity rather than flashy excess.
- Passenger-focused design: It is built with the rear passengers in mind, featuring amenities like reclining seats, massage functions, and ample legroom.
- Handcrafted quality: The Century is a symbol of meticulous craftsmanship, with features like hand-polished paint and handcrafted elements like the Phoenix emblem.
- Hybrid powertrain: The most recent sedan models use a hybrid system centered around a V8 engine for both power and efficiency.
- Expanding beyond Japan: Toyota is expanding the Century brand globally to compete with other ultra-luxury manufacturers.
- New SUV version: Toyota has recently introduced a Century SUV, which further solidifies its position as a competitor in the high-end SUV market.
What is Toyota's most expensive car?
The most expensive new Toyota is the Century SUV, which starts at over $200,000 and is designed to compete with ultra-luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Historically, the most expensive Toyota ever sold was a 1967 Toyota-Shelby 2000GT, which fetched over $2.5 million at auction.
Current model
- Toyota Century SUV: This ultra-luxury SUV starts at over $200,000 and is positioned to compete with high-end luxury vehicles. It features exclusive amenities like reclining rear seats with massage functions, noise-reducing glass, and a customizable interior.
Historical models
- 1967 Toyota-Shelby 2000GT: The most expensive Toyota ever sold is a 1967 2000GT prepared for racing by Shelby American, which sold for $2,535,000 at auction in 2022. This specific car was a competition model, not a standard road car.
- Toyota 2000GT: While the Shelby-prepped version is a unique case, other standard 2000GT models are also very expensive, with examples selling for over $1 million, making them Japan's most expensive classic car.
Other expensive models
- Sequoia Capstone: In the United States, the most expensive model is the Sequoia Capstone, which is Toyota's most luxurious full-size SUV, starting at around $83,915.
- e-Palette: Toyota's e-Palette, a large, electric autonomous shuttle, has a high price point, though it is a commercial vehicle and not a typical passenger car.
