Refreshed 2026 Lexus IS Rumored to Go Hybrid, but May Keep V8
The refreshed 2026 Lexus IS may borrow styling elements from the LBX while adding a brand new hybrid powertrain.
It may seem hard to believe at this point, but the third-generation Lexus IS has been around since 2013 at this point – though it has obviously received a couple of refreshes along the way. Over that decade or so, many rumors have swirled regarding the future of the Lexus IS in general, and whether it may have one at all in a world where sedans have largely fallen out of favor. With the luxury brand’s pivot to pure electrification seemingly on hold, we may be looking at yet another refresh for the 2026 Lexus IS – and a pretty intriguing one as well.
In this recent video from Kirk Kreifels, the YouTuber discusses a recent rumor posted in the Japanese car magazine known as Mag X, which tends to be better at that sort of thing than most publications. In its latest issue, Mag X claims that the 2026 Lexus IS will once again be treated to a refresh, this time, one that will give it LBX styling cues, albeit in line with the traditional sporty appeal that the IS has long offered, with a long hood and a massive front air intake present and accounted for.
While we don’t know exactly what the 2026 Lexus IS will look like, these rumors suggest that it will take the “best” exterior styling elements of the LBX and utilize them, which includes, it seems, moving the front Lexus logo up into the hood, and out back, replacing the rear logo with “Lexus” lettering like the LBX and many other newer Lexus models. These changes will likely be accompanied by the typical deletion and addition of certain exterior paint colors, too.
Updated styling for the 2026 Lexus IS is certainly big news, but rumors pertaining to its powerplant are even more intriguing. As Kreifels points out, a hybrid version of the sedan exists in other markets, and Lexus stated back in 2019 that it would be adding some sort of electrification option to every model in its lineup by 2025 – signaling that we may get such a thing in the very near future in the U.S.
With the current turbo four and V6 supposedly on the chopping block, that could mean an I-4 hybrid in every trim level the 2026 Lexus IS has to offer – but not the IS 500, which will reportedly continue to be sold with a V8 as long as customers are buying it, which comes as somewhat of a pleasant surprise. As for a pure EV version, well, it’ll be interesting to see if Lexus ultimately builds such a thing, particularly given retracting demand and Volkswagen’s recent decision to delay the launch of the ID.7 in the U.S. – where customers prefer crossovers and SUVs. Regardless, we’re just happy to hear that the V8 sedan may not be dead just yet, and neither is the IS, it seems.
Join the Club Lexus forums now!
