Lexus LS, IS named most reliable cars in Germany; first in customer satisfaction
11-06-09, 05:52 PM
#33
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: somewhere out there
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Diesel hybrid is a bad idea. Diesel engines typically have a cost premium over gasoline engines. Hybrids also have a cost premium over gasoline engines. Put the two together, and you have a big cost premium. Adding a diesel with a hybrid system would ruin the purpose of lowering emissions.
This is not "all their eggs in one basket". Is the fact that German brands offer more diesel than gas engines in Europe considered "all their eggs in one basket too"?
Lexus is not going for huge volume in Western Europe.
Toyota is simply giving the Lexus brand a unique attribute in the Western European luxury market, and that is hybrid specialization.
Toyota wants to maintain a strong image for Lexus in Western Europe; they do not want to go to the low-end of the market that much.
There is no way Toyota can offer more diesel choices with the Lexus brand than the German brands. Germans specialize in diesels, but Lexus wants to cement the fact that it specializes in hybrids into people's minds.
In Europe, when people think "luxury diesel" they immediately think German brands. Lexus wants to immediately be known when people think "luxury hybrid", just like most people almost automatically think Prius when there is a hybrid discussion.
The Eastern European market is a little different, and Lexus will continue to offer a range of gasoline engines there.
Quite a few Western European countries are becoming more and more conscious and concerned about the environment and emissions, which is why Lexus hybrids in that market are gaining popularity. The main problem right now is there is no hybrid even close to affordable. The cheapest hybrid in the market (and currently the most popular Lexus hybrid there) is the RX hybrid. The CT hybrid-only hatch will do a lot to help improve sales in Western Europe.
Typically one would think "the more options the better", but it's not always true. Years ago Mercedes started to cut down their trims and model lines, and continues to do so currently. Why; it is because they had far too many different model lines, and it was overwhelming and confusing to many average consumers.
Lexus is not going for huge volume in Western Europe.
Toyota is simply giving the Lexus brand a unique attribute in the Western European luxury market, and that is hybrid specialization.
Toyota wants to maintain a strong image for Lexus in Western Europe; they do not want to go to the low-end of the market that much.
There is no way Toyota can offer more diesel choices with the Lexus brand than the German brands. Germans specialize in diesels, but Lexus wants to cement the fact that it specializes in hybrids into people's minds.
In Europe, when people think "luxury diesel" they immediately think German brands. Lexus wants to immediately be known when people think "luxury hybrid", just like most people almost automatically think Prius when there is a hybrid discussion.
The Eastern European market is a little different, and Lexus will continue to offer a range of gasoline engines there.
Quite a few Western European countries are becoming more and more conscious and concerned about the environment and emissions, which is why Lexus hybrids in that market are gaining popularity. The main problem right now is there is no hybrid even close to affordable. The cheapest hybrid in the market (and currently the most popular Lexus hybrid there) is the RX hybrid. The CT hybrid-only hatch will do a lot to help improve sales in Western Europe.
Typically one would think "the more options the better", but it's not always true. Years ago Mercedes started to cut down their trims and model lines, and continues to do so currently. Why; it is because they had far too many different model lines, and it was overwhelming and confusing to many average consumers.
11-08-09, 03:31 PM
#34
Lexus Fanatic
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: A better place
Posts: 7,285
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There is a reason why no diesel engine is emissions rated as SULEV or PZEV in the US.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
PAPI007
RC - 1st Gen (2015-present)
3
05-28-17 02:15 PM
