Lexus is offering a special edition of the LS sedan, which will presumably serve as the model’s swan song in North America. The 2026 Lexus LS 500 AWD Heritage Edition looks to be the final full-size sedan the company sends to our market. It also appears to be the only trim available for the 2026 model year.
While there used to be a tiered hierarchy for the car on our market, Lexus only sells the decked-out LS 500 these days. The Heritage Edition is basically an appearance package, trimming the entire car in what the company should have called Mourning Black. Instead, it’s been dubbed “Ninety Noir” presumably as a way to commemorate the original 1990 model year (pictured below).
The only real color comes by way of the red upholstery covering the seats. It’s a very bold choice. But Lexus is limiting allocations to just 250 units for the United States, with another 5 going to Canada, suggesting that it’s not worried about volume.
And why would it be? Despite being a luxury icon throughout most of the 1990s and early 2000s, demand for the model has absolutely tanked in recent years. In 2007, Lexus saw 35,000 deliveries and could previously count on selling at least 20,000 units in a given year. However, the brand was struggling to move even 10,000 units inside the United States by 2013. These days, the automaker would probably be delighted to see even 3,000 American takers in a given year.
Outside of the intentionally black exterior embellishments, Lexus is offering the LS 500 AWD Heritage Edition with 20-inch split-20-spoke alloy wheels in Dark Gray Metallic.
From Lexus:
Inside, the Heritage Edition unveils an LS-first Rioja Red interior, enveloping occupants in rich, vibrant luxury. Along with this bold new cabin finish, an etched Lexus LS Heritage Edition emblem adorns the centre console. Featuring an elegant silhouette of the LS, this design addition is echoed and embroidered on the headrests, adding a refined touch of exclusivity and a subtle nod to this model’s illustrious lineage.
Standard features on the LS 500 AWD Heritage Edition include a panorama glass roof that bathes the cabin in natural light and a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) for enhancing both visibility and safety. The interior’s Laser Special Black premium wood trim is refreshed with a new pattern, complementing the Ultrasuede-trimmed headliner and sun visors for an elevated tactile experience.
Additional luxury and convenience features include heated rear seats, a power lift-up buckle, and a Mark Levinson 23-speaker, 2,400-watt Reference Surround Sound system with QuantumLogic Immersion. Advanced Park is also standard on the Heritage Edition model.
The model likewise comes with the familiar 3.4-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine offering 416 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. Lexus promises quiet and smooth operation from the powerplant and there’s little reason to doubt them based on the model’s history. A 10-speed automatic sends power to all four wheels, yielding a 0-62 mph time of just 4.9 seconds. A Torsen limited-slip center differential helps maintain traction while cornering, ensuring the healthy size of the sedan doesn’t become a detriment during spirited driving.
The hybrid option is gone.
In terms of tech, the final LS comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen and loads of electronic features — some of which require customers purchase the Drive Connect subscription because we live in a technocratic nightmare world. This includes the Cloud Navigation and Intelligent Assistant features, the latter of which lets you give voice commands to the car by way of a digital assistant.
Those interested in using their cell phone as a key (or simply a way of keeping tabs on their car) can purchase the Remote Connect subscription. Lexus says this makes for a convenient way of sharing your car with family or friends, since you can set the vehicle up to be activated by up to six different mobile devices.
The 5-year minimum Service Connect trial that comes with the vehicle offers some perks. Customers get service updates and “Vehicle Health Reports” via their phone. It also comes with some anti-theft and emergency service features. But it looks like you’ll need to opt into another subscription if you want to keep that beyond the trial period.
It’s kind of odd that a vehicle that seems so dead-set on being a commemorative model people will presumably want to keep has so many features tied to connected subscription services that will inevitably stop being updated.
As for what comes without subscription, drivers will get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The final LS 500 likewise comes with a head-up display and Lexus’ Safety System+ 3.0. That includes Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Pedestrian Detection, Road Sign Assist, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), Automatic High Beam, Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with Curve Speed Management (DRCC), and Proactive Driving Assist.
Of the above, several will actively stop or steer the vehicle if it thinks it needs to avoid an accident. Most notably, Left Turn Oncoming Vehicle Detection/Braking is supposed to prevent you from accidentally turning into oncoming traffic. The car will likewise stop itself if it determines that the driver is unresponsive while on the expressway. But, as with most modern luxury vehicles, there are a lot of intervention-prone systems — making the departure of the LS a little easier for some of us to endure.
I’m admittedly biased toward sedans. While the advantages of crossover vehicles are obvious, it never quite made sense why someone would opt for a half-baked utility vehicle when there are real SUVs and crew-cab pickups still on the market. Meanwhile, the humble van delivers a similar on-road experience relative to most crossover vehicles while delivering more usable cargo space.
The assumption here is that crossover vehicles slot in as a jack-of-all-trades, becoming ideal transportation for households that may not be able to afford a secondary vehicle. But sedans can typically accomplish everything you’d need in a given week, often yielding better performance at a lower price point.
I had long assumed that, even if mass market sedans bit the dust, their premium counterparts would linger as status symbols. But that doesn’t appear to have been the case. Whether it’s down to consumer preference or manufacturers pushing them to chase higher profit margins, crossovers remain dominant in North America.
The silver lining is that you may still be able to own another LS. While it’s being yanked from our market, the sedan will persist elsewhere in an array of trims we used to receive. Importation laws mean you’ll have to wait a while (or be so obscenely rich that it doesn’t matter) to drive one stateside. But they’ll be out there waiting for you, loaded up with connectivity features that probably won’t function anymore.
However, if you want to buy one of the precious few 2026 Lexus LS 500 AWD Heritage Edition being built, the manufacturer says you’ll be spending $99,280 (plus taxes and fees). Unless you’re really committed to the current LS, it might just be better to scoop up one of the old ones.
[Images: Lexus]
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