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Lexus hints at possible IS SportCross comeback [w/poll]

We're looking forward to seeing the 2014 Lexus IS in person next week at the Detroit Auto Show to see if its brazen design is any less polarizing in person, but Lexus (or at least its Facebook team) has dropped a not-too-subtle hint about the possible return of the SportCross body style - something in between a hatchback and station wagon. The current generation IS comes in sedan and convertible models, but this is an interesting teaser that might suggest an expanded IS lineup.
On its Facebook page, Lexus said:
Do you remember the '02 IS 300 Sport Cross with its style, utility and performance? Will we bring it back? Watch the 2014 IS premiere on Facebook in 6 days to find out!

2018 Lexus LX 570 drops $5,000 in new 2-row trim

People love SUVs and crossovers, but not everyone uses them to haul a litter of children and a couple of pets. At this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, Lexus has debuted the two-row LX 570. The updated model ditches the third row, helping expand cargo capacity by 15 percent without the need to deal with removing the seats. The two-row model comes in a single mono-spec trim, dropping the base price to $86,175, which is $5,000 less than the three-row model. The mono-spec trim of the two-row LX means customers only have the choice of exterior and interior colors. Customers still get a full-leather interior, four-zone automatic climate control, power tailgate, roof rails, a moonroof and 20-inch wheels. Parking assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all standard. Cameras on the outside help show blind spots when parking or off-roading. The new model also comes with Lexus's Enform Safety Connect service for 10 years. Customers can call in case of an emergency anytime day or night. The new variant still comes with all of the Toyota Land Cruiser-sourced goodness as the standard LX 570. That means a 5.7-liter V8 making 383 horsepower and 403 pound-feet of torque, giving the Lexus a 7,000-pound tow rating. The body-on-frame SUV comes with full-time four-wheel drive and Lexus's Active Traction Control system and Multi-Terrain Select system to handle wheel slip on various road surfaces. Other off-road systems include crawl control and hill-start assist. The two-row 2018 Lexus LX 570 goes on sale next year. Related Video:

Lexus LF-30 Electrified Concept announces the brand's entry in EVs

The star of the Lexus booth at the biennial Tokyo auto show is an extremely futuristic concept named LF-30 Electrified that previews the firm's cars could look like — and be powered by — in 2030. The LF-30 Electrified uses clever technology to take Lexus into the electric vehicle segment for the first time. Lexus has leveraged parent company Toyota's expertise in the field of hybrid powertrains to become one of the industry's pioneers in the segment, but it has always shunned fully electric drivetrains. The LS-30 signals an about-face. Drawing on lessons learned while designing hybrids, engineers developed a 536-horsepower drivetrain that consists of a mammoth, 110-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and four in-wheel electric motors that can deliver front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive. Don't let the press images fool you; the LS-30 is huge. It's nearly as long as the firm's LS flagship sedan, closer to a Chevrolet Suburban in width, and it weighs almost 5,300 pounds. It can nonetheless reach 60 mph from a stop in 3.8 seconds, and it can travel for up to 310 miles on one charge according to the overly optimistic WLTP testing cycle. Those figures might be irrelevant, because the driver can become a passenger by turning on the on-board autonomous technology and letting it worry about how quickly to accelerate, and when to charge. There's even a drone that Lexus calls an Airporter that autonomous transports luggage, for example, from in front of the owner's house directly to the car's trunk. Odds are you won't even need to tip it. Traveling in the LF-30 feels different depending on where you're sitting. The driver experiences a new concept Lexus calls Tazuna that draws inspiration from how a rein can create a mutual understanding between a horse and a rider; it sounds similar to what Mazda aimed for with the Miata, which famously channeled Jinba Ittai, or horse and rider as one, but it's a completely different take on it. The driver can adjust the stereo or dial a destination in the navigation system without taking his or her eyes off the road thanks to steering wheel-mounted switches and a large head-up display. The driver feels a lot like a jet fighter pilot, then. The passenger, on the road hand, is traveling first-class thanks to a seat inspired by high-zoot air travel, and a gesture-controlled screen. The rear seats recline, and the folks sitting in them can watch movies on a voice- and gesture-controlled glass roof called SkyGate.