Lexus just debuted the new 2026 Lexus IS, and at first glance, we had to do a double-take. This latest facelift of the Lexus IS provides both interior and exterior updates, but why does my RWD Lexus look like a Camry now? The updated front fascia design bears an uncanny resemblance to that of the new 2025 Toyota Camry, and some fans of the leading Japanese luxury brand are heated about this latest stylistic choice.
Considering the base cost of a 2025 Lexus IS is $12,830 more than that of a 2025 Camry, you can understand why. This controversial change comes as a result of an update to Toyota’s overall design language that dictates the aesthetic uniformity of most cars in its line-up (including some Lexus models, like the new IS). Yet, now that we see how the Lexus IS has been victimized, we can’t say we are on board with these changes.
- Founded
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1989
- Founder
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Eiji Toyoda
- Headquarters
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Nagoya, Japan
- Current CEO
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Koji Sato
- Status
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Active
My Expensive Lexus Now Looks Like A Regular Toyota
So why do the new Lexus IS and Toyota Camry share this design theme despite their significant differences and large price gap? Well, Toyota has recently decided that they don’t like headlights being individual pieces within the front bumper anymore. Now they want the headlights to look directly integrated into the front bumper and grill without any distinct separation, like a one-piece unit. You can see this same motif across many new Toyota models, including:
- 2026 Toyota Corolla
- 2026 Toyota Prius
- 2026 Toyota Camry
- 2026 Toyota Crown
- 2025 Toyota Sienna
- 2025 Toyota bZ4X
- 2025 Toyota Crown Signia
- 2025 Lexus GX
- 2026 Lexus TX
The Lexus GX Started This Polarizing Design Trend For Lexus
Up until the debut of the 2026 Lexus IS, we still hadn’t seen this distinct design theme implemented on a Lexus sedan. Yet, our first taste of this shifting change within the Lexus line-up was with the redesign of the Lexus GX that debuted in 2024, which offered a much milder integration of this new headlight/front grill design combination. We were surprised by how good this looked, and the new Lexus GX quickly became one of our favorite new Lexus designs, with its distinct and imposing look that is undeniable on the road.
The Lexus TX Was An Omen
The Lexus GX had lifted our spirits about Lexus’ new design approach, but then we were just as quickly let down when the new Lexus TX debuted with a more extreme example of this headlight/front grill integration. The front fascia of the Lexus TX is perplexing, to say the least, and its strange four-bar pseudo-spindle grill does not spark joy.
We aren’t sure what Lexus had in mind with this new front fascia approach, but this is not what we thought would be the evolution of Lexus’ iconic and beloved spindle grill. The spindle grill is still the hottest individual design element that Lexus has ever crafted, and part of the brand’s success within the last decade or so is because of the attractive nature of this design. Even the “spindle body” design that came after the spindle grill was still okay, as seen on the current 2026 Lexus RX. However, whatever is going on with the new Lexus IS has us questioning what the future holds for the next couple of years of Lexus design.
Lexus Needs The Courage To Take Risks Again
The front grill of a car is a key design element that shapes the overall look of the entire vehicle. When Lexus debuted the spindle grill in 2011, it was a smash hit because it was aggressive, yet elegant. It displayed a distinct Japanese flair without being ostentatious or gaudy. Before the spindle grill, no Lexus vehicle had ever had a true, distinct design element that was so recognizable that you knew it was a Lexus just from looking at it.
There was a time when a Lexus grill just looked like the grill you might find on any car, with no real distinct look to it. Then the spindle grill became so identifiable as a Lexus design that not even Toyota-branded products were allowed to utilize it. So you’d assume that the next big thing Lexus does after the spindle grill would have to top the original to gain prominence, but it seems like we are entering an era where Lexus is losing its design edge for the sake of meeting the standards of uniformity.
The Evolution Of The Third-Generation Lexus IS Sedan
With over 10 years in production, the third generation of the Lexus IS has achieved one of the longest tenures of any modern sedan. During this time, the Lexus IS has seen not just one, but three individual facelifts during its production life cycle (2018, 2021, 2026). When Lexus introduced the spindle grill during the debut of the third-generation Lexus IS in 2014, sales spiked instantly. Success continued with the 2018 refresh, which brought mostly minor updates to the overall styling of the Lexus sedan, but the following 2021 facelift was a lot more of a significant overhaul.
Regarding the front fascia, the 2021 headlight redesign integrated the “check” DRL element directly into the headlights as opposed to being a separate entity. This change, plus a slightly larger spindle grill, brought the Lexus IS’s front fascia to its best-looking and most refined styling up until that point. Yet, this 2026 update makes the Lexus IS look less aggressive and distinct than before, meaning that, sadly, it’s a downgrade.
Lexus’s Confusing Modern Design Language
Although the spindle grill is still alive in the 2026 refresh of the Lexus IS, it has lost part of its charm with this latest redesign. The problem is that, because of the integration of the headlight directly into the grill, the front grill now has a less aggressive overall shape. Look at the 2026 Lexus IS from any angle other than the front end, and it would be easy to say that this is one of the best-looking Lexus sedans ever made. Even the styling updates to the rear end make the Lexus IS look better than ever before. Yet, how Lexus managed to miss the mark so badly on the front end still has us scratching our heads in disbelief.
The Uncertain Future Of Lexus Design
While the new controversial restyling of the 2026 Lexus IS may just be a refresh of a pre-existing design, the 2026 Lexus ES debuts an entirely new eighth generation of the mid-sized Lexus sedan. While the 2026 Lexus IS refresh may feel like a lackluster update to Lexus’s entry-level sedan, the new redesign of the Lexus ES is even more polarizing (and indicative of what’s to come).
Lexus states that the 2026 Lexus ES follows their latest “Clean Tech x Elegance” design language, which is inspired by the BEV concept vehicle, the Lexus LF-ZC. They call this new design outlook a “bold evolution”, but right now, we aren’t on board with this new direction. The main issue at hand? You guessed it: the front fascia.
The New Generation Spindle Body
The 2026 Lexus ES integrates what Lexus calls the “new-generation spindle body”, which was “crafted to embody the ideals of electrification.” While that may sound all fancy and nice, the implementation is not quite as appealing as it sounds. The central focus of the large spindle design is now gone, with only a semblance of the original design still integrated into the front end.
Since the new Lexus ES is envisioned as a multi-platform vehicle (including an electric-only variant), the distinctive front grill we have come to know and love has lost its relevance both functionally and aesthetically. If the spindle grill design no longer characterizes a Lexus, what will?
Lexus Twin L-Signature Lighting And More
You know Lexus has moved away and beyond the spindle grill because even in the concept renderings of the LF-ZC that inspired the new 2026 Lexus ES, it doesn’t have a distinct grill design of any kind. Yet, the Lexus ES is not the only victim of this latest shift. Because of electrification (and thus, the lack of a need for a large gaping grill), the overall look of front-end design has been changing across the entire industry.
Lexus looks to stand out in its next era of front-end design with their latest stylistic innovation, the Twin L-Signature headlights (inward-facing DRLs and outward-facing turn signals). This is the latest rendition of Lexus’ unique “check” or “lightning bolt” theme that has become synonymous with the brand’s front-end design. Although the Twin L-Signature headlights are one of our favorite elements of Lexus’ new design, will this alone be able to make up for the gap in character lost by the absence of the spindle grill (or any grill at all)? Time will tell, but what we hope is that Lexus will once again find a way to create new design elements that can rival the impact and presence of the now-outdated spindle grill that defined an entire era of greatness for the leading Japanese luxury brand.