The Lexus LC, a two-door luxury touring vehicle, garners significant admiration for its striking aesthetics and opulent interior. Notably, it also offers one of the few remaining naturally aspirated V-8 engines in the automotive landscape. However, despite these commendable attributes, the LC has struggled to achieve substantial market penetration, particularly its hybrid variant.
Since its launch in 2017, total sales of the Lexus LC have generally hovered around 1,500 units annually, with the year 2021 being an exception when sales reached 2,782 units. For instance, in 2024, the company recorded only 1,464 units sold, following 1,761 units in the preceding year and 1,387 units the year before that. Across its entire production history up to mid-2025, Lexus has moved approximately 14,000 LC units in total. These modest figures help elucidate why, even after a recent refresh for the 2026 model year, the vehicle's future might be in jeopardy.
A more detailed examination of these sales figures reveals a particularly stark reality for the LC Hybrid. The manufacturer has confirmed that a mere 248 units of the LC Hybrid have been sold in the United States since its inception. This includes a paltry 7 units sold in the current year alone. The yearly breakdown of LC Hybrid sales highlights this severe underperformance: 102 units in 2018, 37 in 2019, 14 in both 2020 and 2021, 19 in 2022, 37 in 2023, 18 in 2024, and the aforementioned 7 units as of June 2025.
Introduced in 2016 and available in the US market from 2018, the LC Hybrid featured a 3.5-liter V-6 engine paired with two electric motors, delivering 345 horsepower. This was a notable downgrade from the V-8 model's 471 horsepower. Furthermore, the hybrid employed an outdated four-speed automatic transmission, which likely did not enhance its appeal. Given these persistently low sales numbers, the decision to discontinue the LC Hybrid for the 2026 model year is an understandable outcome. Fortunately for enthusiasts, the V-8 powered LC will remain available, with Lexus recently unveiling a new Inspiration Series that includes exclusive paint options and is limited to 200 coupe and 350 convertible units.
The challenging sales performance of the Lexus LC Hybrid underscores the complex dynamics of the luxury sports car market, where even an aesthetically pleasing and well-appointed vehicle can struggle without a compelling powertrain and competitive transmission. While the V-8 variant continues its journey, the hybrid's low adoption rate clearly signaled its eventual withdrawal from the market.