Lexus a niche brand? Feels yes, real no. When looking at the brand, you shouldn't wear German glasses. Toyota's noble subsidiary sold 582.000 units more cars worldwide than Volvo, for example, last year. It has never been more in Lexus' 26-year history. Ascending trend. An increase of ten percent is expected. Half of the vehicles produced go to America, Lexus' actual home. They even drove the top of the premium segment for eleven years, ahead of Mercedes and BMW. According to Lexus, that the German competition passed in 2012 was due to the consequences of the tsunami. The tidal wave massively disrupted production in Japan.
The traffic lights are green for business in the Old World. "We want to sell around 70.000 units across Europe this year," says Alain Uyttenhoven. It would be an absolute record. For 2020, the CEO of Lexus Europe even thinks 100.000 vehicles are realistic. Contrary to expectations, Lexus posted double-digit growth in Russia. Figures that the importer in Germany can only dream of. Lexus models roll across the streets in homeopathic cans. In 2014, only 1.328 vehicles were sold, compared to 2015 in 1.682, an increase of over 26 percent. The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt KBA currently lists the market share at 0,1 percent.
But improvement is in sight. Lexus has restructured its dealer structure and expanded the model range. The compact NX, the first crossover model in a new design language and primarily intended for Europe, has been in the range for a year. The look could also be detrimental to the sales. Quite a few customers find the front with the powerful double trapezoid grill to be overly aggressive. "We want to be more independent, consciously polarize, nobody else comes to the brand," says sales professional Uyttenhoven. Lexus had been "me too" in his eyes for too long. "We can offer something different."
In addition to the NX, this should also underpin the new RX. The design of the larger “soft roader” also clearly stands out from the competition. Chief designer Gen Ikeda speaks of "rousing power". The three previous generations shaped the brand like no other model in the portfolio. The RX has been a bestseller since the start of the 1998 series. So far, 2,2 million units have rolled off the assembly lines. Even below the RX and NX, Lexus still sees SUV need to have something in the quiver against the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. This could be based on Toyota's latest study, shown at the IAA in Frankfurt last September, the C-HR2. It is based on the newly developed TNGA platform (Toyota New Global Architecture). Industry experts expect this crossover model at the latest in 2018.
A year earlier, the next LS was on the program, now the 5th generation. However, the luxury sedan, the brand's founding vehicle in 1989, will not be as expressive as the NX and RX. The clientele is more conservative. Allegedly, Lexus wants to install the fuel cell drive of the Toyota Mirai in the LS in small quantities, but technically already half a generation further. Otherwise, a V8 petrol engine and a V6 hybrid are used. The outputs range up to over 500 hp. Shifting is carried out by a ten-speed automatic from Aisin.
With the Sport Coupé LC 500, Lexus is adding a new series in 2017. It celebrated its premiere at the Detroit Auto Show a few days ago and is expected to compete primarily against the Audi A5, BMW 4 Series Coupé and Mercedes C-Class Coupé. The further emotionalization of the brand is behind the LC. The model shares the rear-wheel drive platform with the LS and will also have the five-liter V8 vacuum cleaner from the GS-F under the hood, which in the F variant is to deliver up to 600 hp. For a time, the potent eight-cylinder was the only “non-hybrid drive” in the Lexus portfolio. The Japanese now have a second unit on offer. The two-liter four-cylinder turbo (even the charger is an in-house development) is currently used in five of seven series and is retiring the previous 2,5-liter V6 vacuum cleaner.
Author: Michael Specht / SP-X