Will Lexus Ever Make A Pickup Truck? Here's What The Brand Says

Lexus is known for its luxurious vehicles, and a lot of car enthusiasts want to see the brand's elevated style and features in a pickup truck. While a pickup truck isn't part of any concrete plans made public by the automaker, Lexus is no stranger to unexpected vehicle plans — and this could include a pickup truck down the line. Lexus confirmed in the past that a pickup truck is not out of the question, and that the automaker just needs to see that the concept is wanted. 

During a press conference held in Japan, Chief Engineer Takashi Watanabe said: "If there is a strong need from customers for Lexus to release or launch a pickup, it's a matter of possibility in the future. We will not deny [customers] a Lexus pickup, but as of now we have no such discussions." 

Watanabe went on to say that the pickup truck wouldn't be based on any of Toyota's existing trucks. This means Lexus would be thinking of a brand new design for its fully-electric pickup — adding to its line of electric vehicles. This would only happen, however, if enough customers expressed interest. 

Some car enthusiasts have been a bit confused about the state of Lexus' pickup truck plans since there are images of the concept floating around online. However, Lexus has not confirmed the production of a pickup just yet, as it awaits enough encouragement from prospective customers. The images online are not from Lexus and are largely the work of ever-improving AI software. 

After hearing of Watanabe's idea of an EV pickup, artists started using CGI and AI programs to bring this concept to life. While it's made some pickup drivers hopeful, there are some ways you can instantly tell these are just wishful thinking. First, AI-generated or CGI car images have an overly shiny appearance, with reflections all over the place — you can see it in fake images of the rumored Volvo pickup as well. They also have a rounded appearance and missing details. 

Another tell-tale sign of an AI or CGI image is the lettering — the license plate or grille will have misspellings as well as random type face differences that aren't the official styling of the car brand. For now, images of a Lexus pickup appearing online are just AI renditions — but Lexus may reveal a pickup if enough drivers express interest.