Car model names are crucial for automakers as they give a unique identity to their products in a crowded automotive market. While some companies opt for specific words or phrases, Lexus has chosen to use letter designations to convey the meaning behind their cars.
Impress your friends with this alphabetical list of Lexus model names and their corresponding meanings.
Lexus CT: Creative Touring
The Japanese marque named its five-door hatchback the Lexus CT, which stands for Creative Touring. According to Lexus, Creative was used as the car used a hybrid powertrain in a segment dominated by diesel-powered models, while Touring was used to counter the myth that hybrid cars meant sacrificing luggage and passenger space.
Lexus ES: Executive Sedan
The Lexus ES was launched side-by-side with the LS. The ES stands for Executive Sedan, meant as a smaller version of the flagship model.
Lexus GS: Grand Sedan
Following the footsteps of the Lexus LS in using Sedan as a suffix, the GS, which means Grand Sedan, is the automaker's midsize model. Its name represents its position as the middle child in Lexus' sedan lineup.
Lexus GX: Grand Crossover
Notably omitted in Lexus UK Magazine's release is the Lexus GX, which stands for Grand Crossover. Just like the GS, the GX stands as the middle child in the automaker's crossover/SUV lineup.
Lexus IS: Intelligent Sports
While you might think that the S in the Lexus IS stands for Sedan, it's actually not. IS stands for Intelligent Sports. The model was meant to represent Lexus' traditional qualities in a smaller, more mechanically dynamic package to entice younger customers.
Lexus LC: Luxury Coupe
Meant to combine the premium offering of the Lexus LS in a "seductive" coupe body, the LC, or Luxury Coupe, is the automaker's flagship coupe that is "engineered in every dimension to deliver a very special and rewarding driving experience." The other C suffix stands for Convertible in some markets.
Lexus LFA: Lexus Future Advance (as concept vehicle), Lexus F-Sports Apex (as production vehicle)
While Lexus' V10 supercar was born as the LFA concept which stood for Lexus Future Advance, it was later changed to Lexus F-Sports Apex in its production form. This was meant to represent the LFA's position as the benchmark of the F series performance brand.
Lexus LS: Luxury Sedan
The flagship model, the Lexus LS, stands for Luxury Sedan, and befittingly so as this is the car that launched Lexus back in 1989 as a luxury automaker. It was t culmination of work by 60 designers, 1,400 engineers, 2,300 technicians, and over 200 support workers.
Lexus LX: Luxury Crossover
Also omitted in the release is the Lexus LX, which stands for Luxury Crossover. As the model isn't actually a crossover – it's a fully-fledged SUV based on the Toyota Land Cruiser – some importers use Luxury Four Wheel Drive to represent the letters.
Lexus LY: Luxury Yacht
The Japanese luxury marque also ventured into making yachts and unsurprisingly named its boat the Lexus LY, or the Luxury Yacht.
Lexus NX: Nimble Crossover
The Lexus NX, which stands for Nimble Crossover, was named so to represent the vehicle's smaller size, ergo, more nimble nature that's perfect for both urban and country routes.
Lexus RC: Radical Coupe
The Lexus RC, or Radical Coupe, was designed to challenge perceptions about what a self-charging, gasoline-electric hybrid should look like.
Lexus RX: Radiant Crossover
The Radiant Crossover, or the Lexus RX, represents the automaker's envisioned future when it was launched at the start of the new millennium. The L suffix is used to denote the larger, seven-seater versions.
Lexus SC: Sports Coupe
Offered from 1992 to 2010, the Lexus SC, or Sports Coupe, fits the midsize luxury coupe market.
Lexus UX: Urban Crossover
The Lexus UX is the smallest in the brand's crossover lineup, marking the first time the automaker has produced a real compact luxury crossover. UX stands for Urban Crossover, "aimed to embody a free-spirited style that would appeal to modern urban explorers," according to Lexus.
Source: Lexus UK