The Lexus IS Will End Production Later This Year

Just a couple of years ago, Japanese luxury brand Lexus had one of the oldest vehicle lineups around. In the last three years or so, it has finally started fixing that. New models, new generations, and refreshes have reinvigorated the company’s lineup. Now, the oldest of the remaining Lexus models, the IS, is nearing an end. Production will cease in November.

Some Lexus models were really starting to show their ages. The LX, for example, the brand’s flagship SUV, was on sale in its current form from 2007 through 2021. Even considering its last minor facelift, the LX’s last significant change occurred in 2015. That was, of course, until it launched a brand-new model on an entirely new architecture for the 2022 model year.

The GX, the brand’s mid-range off-roader, suffered even longer. The second-generation launched in 2009, but it saw only the most minor of changes, finally getting Apple CarPlay in 2021. It, too, is now brand-new with a new generation that launched for 2024.

Not Every Lexus Is Getting Saved

Not every Lexus is getting that level of redemption, though. Look at the RC coupe, which went on sale in late 2014 and ends later this year (around the same time as the IS finishes production). The RC’s only update came in 2019, and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. The RC is not getting a replacement, or at least, one hasn’t been announced. And while the RC’s swan song is indeed a great one, we’re not expecting a replacement to be announced.

Instead, we get new Lexus models like the three-row TX crossover, which sold more units last year than the RC did from 2017-2024 combined. Or the RZ EV, which is also crushing nearly every year of RC sales.

The Lexus IS is currently the brand’s oldest model. It first launched in this generation in April 2013. It got a facelift in 2017 and another slightly larger makeover in 2020. But it still has the brand’s ancient Remote Touch interface, which isn’t doing it many favors. The compact sports sedan faces serious competition from Acura in the form of the TLX as well as from Cadillac via the CT4 and CT5.

IS Production Shuts Down By The End Of The Year

In 2025, Lexus sells the IS in 300, 350 and 500 formats. Powertrains range from four-cylinder and V6 engines, rear or all-wheel drive, and then there’s the IS 500 with a 472-horsepower V8. In Japan, you can get the hybrid or the V8. But Lexus says everything is done in November.

The RC likely won’t have any replacement, but what about the IS? Lexus hasn’t said anything, and we haven’t seen any rumors or spy photos to suggest anything is on the horizon. Lexus sold 18,946 units last year. That’s down 16% from the year before, and it leaves the world as one of the brand’s worst-selling models.

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To be clear, we don’t know for sure if this all applies to the US as well, but it wouldn’t make sense to continue for one market and not the other. And we do know the IS 500 is gone from the US after this year. We’ve reached out to Lexus to confirm, but to be blunt, say farewell to one of the oldest remaining new cars on the market. For trivia buffs, it’s one of the last cars to offer a standard CD player – yeah, it’s that old. With its departure, the Dodge Durango will remain as the oldest new vehicle that isn’t a cargo van.