Lexus sedans will be redone by spring 2013.

Byline: Mark Rechtin

Lexus sales have slipped behind BMW and Mercedes this year, but the next few years will show what kind of counterpunch Toyota's luxury brand can deliver.

The passenger-car lineup will be made over by the spring of 2013, as the GS, ES, IS and LS sedans will all be either redesigned or re-engineered.

But there are challenges. Executives and engineers say they need to remove some of the numbness from Lexus sedan handling without losing the floaty freeway ride that buyers expect.

Lexus also is unveiling a more aggressive design language that was teased at the New York auto show in April.

As far as cycle changes go, expect Lexus to follow …