...
Lexus in Australia News
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,428
Likes: 10
From: NC
Lexus in Australia News
A compact soft-roader, an affordable luxury sedan and a seven-seat SUV will spearhead a Lexus new-model onslaught that will also include a wider range of customisation options, as the brand looks to claw back market share from German rivals.
The chief executive of Lexus, Tony Cramb, admits the Japanese brand's 1-size-fits-all policy needs to change to allow customers to choose trims, colours, finishes, engines and body styles, as do those of luxury leaders BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
Cramb also says the greater range of options will be supplemented by new models that should turn around the brand's flagging sales.
''New arrivals are going to play a big part [of our push towards record Lexus sales],'' Cramb says. ''More and more we'll have access to right-hand-drive engineering [due to demand from emerging right-hand-drive countries such as India] and opportunities for us will be greater.'' He says there will be more variety throughout the Lexus range.
Lexus is already talking of a higher-performance version of its hybrid-only CT200h, which went on sale this week.
Likely to be called the CT300h, the petrol-electric hatch would probably get a bigger petrol engine and electric motor for more spirited performance.
There's no word yet on an even more powerful CT F version - to line up alongside the V8-powered IS F - but longer-term it would make an interesting competitor to the BMW 135i and Audi S3.
Cramb also says the trend of allowing choices of colours and finishes inside - the CT200h is available in various metallic and wood finishes as well as different colours of leather and fabric, including bright red - will likely expand.
He is also hoping for an influx of new models to flesh out the range and compete with the vast array of body styles on offer from competitors; whereas Lexus has just nine body styles with the recent addition of the CT200h and LF A supercar, BMW has 18, Audi 20 and Mercedes-Benz 20 (excluding commercial vehicles).
''We've still got some pretty major gaps [and] we've got to overcome them,'' Cramb says.
''Obviously, we need a smaller SUV … that's something that's high on the agenda for us.''
Cramb also points to a more luxurious ''family sedan'' as a potential replacement for the ES300 that was once the mainstay of the Lexus brand (a new generation is built now only as a left-hand-drive model).
A 7-seat SUV to compete with the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GL and Audi Q7 is also a priority, with the Lexus RX available now with only 5 seats.
CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,335
Likes: 61
From: California
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 9,997
Likes: 248
From: California
I have a hunch we'll see all three models for the US. These have been hinted in the past. It also seems odd they'd cater to Australian needs when the US needs are so forthcoming and prominant. Perhaps this is a sneaky way of hinting to new US models without actually listing things out for the competition to see. Or, maybe I'm wrong alltogether. We shall see.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 20,244
Likes: 275
I have a hunch we'll see all three models for the US. These have been hinted in the past. It also seems odd they'd cater to Australian needs when the US needs are so forthcoming and prominant. Perhaps this is a sneaky way of hinting to new US models without actually listing things out for the competition to see. Or, maybe I'm wrong alltogether. We shall see.
Trending Topics
ClubLexus Stories
Celebrating Lexus & Toyota from Around the Globe
Top 10 Most Confusing Things Lexus Has Ever Done!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Lexus ES Review: Lexus Re-Embraces Founding Principles
Michael S. Palmer
10 Lexus Bargains That are Cheaper Than a New Toyota RAV4
Joe Kucinski
8 Weirdest Things Lexus Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
10 Lexus Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
8 Tips for Improving Your Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid's Efficiency!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Best Lexus Models No One Remembers
Joe Kucinski
TRD Off-Road Premium: Best 2026 4Runner, Except This One Thing
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Lexus & Toyotas to Drive Before You Die!
Joe Kucinski
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 8,349
Likes: 0
From: QC/FRANCE
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,428
Likes: 10
From: NC
7
Following on from the successful launch of the IS 350 and IS 250 F Sport, as well as the CT 200h F Sport, Lexus Australia is now gearing up to launch a total of seven new F Sport models in 2012.
1st off the ranks will likely be the new GS 350 F Sport, which made its global debut at the Johannesburg motor show earlier this month and is set to make a local appearance at Flemington on Oaks Day in early November.
F Sport variants of the RX SUV are also planned, while the LS limousine and even the gargantuan LX 570 SUV may receive their own F Sport variants.
An even harder-core version of the IS F sports sedan could be waiting in the wings too, and may be based on the IS F Circuit Club Sports model that's available in some overseas markets (below).
F Sport variants currently account for 48% of V6-powered IS sales, and 30% of CT 200h sales. According to Lexus, Australia has recorded some of the highest take-up figures of F Sport badged models in the world, and is seen by Lexus' top brass as a key market for the performance-oriented sub-brand.
Like BMW's optional M packages, the F Sport badge brings with it a range of styling and handling upgrades designed to inject a sportier flavour into Lexus' models.
The CT 200h F Sport (above) boasts a tighter suspension than its more prosaic stablemates, additional chassis bracing, a dark roof lining and a unique body kit. The IS 250 and IS 350 F Sport also get a tauter suspension, bigger brakes, body-hugging seats lifted from the IS F and, F Sport-specific wheels and a revised aero package.
The CT 200h F Sport currently retails for $49,990, while the IS 250 F Sport and IS 350 F Sport retail for $66,800 and $71,800 respectively.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 20,244
Likes: 275
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
