Bell Tolls for the Lexus GS
Lexus has two midsize sedans in its lineup, but pretty soon that will no longer be the case. After three years of rumours, Toyota’s luxury brand has announced that GS production will end in August.
The model was initially launched in 1993.
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As a result, the slightly less spacious and opulent ES sedan will remain the only option for consumers interested in that particular type of car, which is nowhere near the popularity level of SUVs and crossovers these days.
The company justified its decision by pointing to the poor sales of the GS in recent years. To give you an idea, only 114 units were sold in all of Canada in 2019, a drop of 46 percent. Meanwhile, the ES found 2,154 takers, which represents an increase of 19 percent.
The death of the Lexus GS is actually a slow and methodical process that started with the elimination of the GS 450h hybrid variant in 2018, followed by the entry-level GS 300 (available in the U.S. only).
The current offering consists of the GS 350 AWD, motivated by a 311-horsepower V6, and the high-performance GS F, a well-kept secret among luxury sports sedans that features a 467-horsepower V8.
The GS is not going out without a bang, though. A 200-unit Black Line Edition, similar to the Lexus IS Black Line, has been announced for the U.S. We’re waiting for Lexus Canada to respond.