Driving the Next Chapter: Lexus Canada’s Vision for the Future

Lexus may have branded its recent drive across Vancouver Island as the third chapter in its 35th anniversary celebrations in Canada, but it felt more like the opening pages of the next volume in the company’s story.

The luxury brand is doubling down on its customer-first focus. Lexus is already known for its ethos embodied in the Japanese word omotenashi, which means selfless, wholehearted hospitality—anticipating guests’ needs without expecting anything in return.

Martin Gilbert, Director at Lexus Canada, said in an interview, “We have very little influence on the product side that comes from manufacturing, but as a brand keeper in Canada, our goal is to elevate that guest experience.”

Lexus wants customers “not to say, ‘I’m driving the best luxury car.’ We want our guests to say, ‘I’m driving my favourite luxury car’,” Gilbert added.

To get there, Gilbert said Lexus Canada will “continue to be focused on our core—what pays the bills.” That means volume and Canadian-built product, which he called “an amazing aspect of our operations in Canada.” Gilbert’s self-confessed humble brag is the thousands of Canadian employees and associates who contribute to the Canadian economy, alongside what he described as the best manufacturing plant in the world among all brands, as recognized by J.D. Power’s global plant quality award.

The Canadian-built NX and RX remain the company’s best sellers in Canada, which Gilbert said confirms that Lexus’s strategy of building where it sells is the right one.

At the moment, Lexus Canada offers 16 models, 11 of which are electrified, including hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and pure battery-electric vehicles. The RX Hybrid and plug-in hybrid saw record sales in November 2025, while overall the company sold 30,722 vehicles in Canada up to the beginning of December. Vehicles with electrified powertrains accounted for 58 per cent of sales so far this year. “We expect this number to continue to increase thanks to our recent launches and future plans,” Gilbert said.

Part of that future is the launch for 2026 of the refreshed RZ line-up, which includes the first-ever RZ 550e F SPORT. New 2026 models are already arriving, Gilbert said, with increased range and reduced charging time, along with more power and efficiency. The 2026 RZ is available in five grades, including a front-wheel-drive model for the first time—the 350e Signature.

Also coming for 2026 is the eighth-generation ES, which has been completely redesigned with inspiration from the LF-ZC concept revealed at the Japan Mobility Show in October 2023. It will be the first core Lexus model offered with both hybrid and battery-electric powertrains. The sleek, aerodynamic sedan was shown for the first time in Canada in Vancouver this December at the brand’s 35th anniversary press event.

The ES produces 338 horsepower, offers a range of up to 480 kilometres, and sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. A first-ever VIP package will be available with reclining rear seats, rear massage seats, and rear seat heating, among other yet-to-be-revealed features.

Although he would not divulge details about future product, Gilbert did elaborate on the company’s aspiration to be adventurous and innovative. He presented the brand’s vision for the future of mobility with a series of concepts that reimagine existing model lines.

These include a large, luxurious six-wheeled people mover labelled as the LS concept, alongside the single-seater LS Micro concept—an autonomous commuter vehicle that looks a bit like an enclosed recliner on wheels. There is also the LS Coupe concept, a sporty design featuring suicide doors and what appears to be a hatchback profile. The LFA concept reimagines the iconic sports car as a fully electric vehicle, recently unveiled at a high-profile launch in Japan.

Whether anything resembling these concepts will ever reach production for Canadian roads remains a question for the future. In the meantime, Gilbert shared some of what Lexus is focused on changing in the near term.

With 40 dealers across the country, he said the dealer network is under the microscope, with an eye to “maximizing their market area.” “We have some pretty big differences between East and West when it comes to brand performance,” he said. “We’re trying to close the gap.”

That could include adding dealers in certain regions. “In Quebec, if you look at the pure sales numbers, we’re underperforming a little bit,” Gilbert said, attributing that weakness to stronger competition from well-established German brands in the province.

“At this stage, we’re studying the market. We have what we call a sustainable growth model for the next several years,” he continued. “Even though we’re not chasing numbers, we have to look for opportunities for growth. Every Canadian deserves to be able to drive a Lexus wherever they live.”

Website: Lexus Canada

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