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Future of the Lexus GS around the world
Lexus has confirmed that it will stop production of GS sedans for the European market in April. AutoRAI claims to have received the news straight from the Japanese car manufacturer and asserts that a new-generation ES will effectively replace the GS throughout the Old Continent. To those that have been following developments with the GS in recent months, this news shouldn’t come as a surprise. As a matter of fact, reports surfaced in April 2017 indicating that Lexus didn’t intend on launching a next-gen GS and would instead replace it with an updated ES. Whereas the GS has rear-wheel drive underpinnings, the next ES will be based on the cheaper front-wheel drive architecture of the Camry. Ending production for European examples therefore appears to be the first nail in the coffin for the GS. |
Does not say the death in the US market. |
Originally Posted by LexsCTJill
(Post 10155287)
Does not say the death in the US market. |
SNiiP3R, thanks for the alert , so this isn't directed at you.
But this is Carscoops hysteria over a car that sold 105 units in January in Europe. Lexus GS sales barely nudged over 200/month and often well below that in 2017 on the continent. IMHO, of course they're going to cancel its sales in Europe. 1500 units in all of last year was probably not going to bode well when the Euro competition is running circles around it. It's an outgoing platform, so no surprise. The ES is a better alternative for Euro buyers for less money. |
Originally Posted by MattyG
(Post 10155308)
The ES is a better alternative for Euro buyers for less money.
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This is not the first time Lexus is thinking of canceling this model, but this is the first time Lexus makes a bold move like that. They gave the GS another chance in 2010, they made the car sportier and fun to drive. It did not fail, but it did not do good either. If Europe is out and they barely sell this model in the US, who are they going to build the 5GS for? |
Originally Posted by mmarshall
(Post 10155321)
Unlike the FWD ES, which basically stands alone in the Lexus sedan line-up, the RWD/AWD GS also had competition from below in the RWD/AWD IS sedan, and from above with the RWD/AWD LS.
The BMW 5-Series has competition from the 3-Series below it and the 7-Series above it, yet it sells. The MB E-Class has competition from the C-Class below it and the S-Class above it, yet it sells. |
Originally Posted by Sulu
(Post 10155339)
What?!? :uh: This makes no sense.
The BMW 5-Series has competition from the 3-Series below it and the 7-Series above it, yet it sells. The MB E-Class has competition from the C-Class below it and the S-Class above it, yet it sells. |
Originally Posted by MattyG
(Post 10155308)
SNiiP3R, thanks for the alert , so this isn't directed at you.
But this is Carscoops hysteria over a car that sold 105 units in January in Europe. Lexus GS sales barely nudged over 200/month and often well below that in 2017 on the continent. IMHO, of course they're going to cancel its sales in Europe. 1500 units in all of last year was probably not going to bode well when the Euro competition is running circles around it. It's an outgoing platform, so no surprise. The ES is a better alternative for Euro buyers for less money. |
Originally Posted by Sulu
(Post 10155339)
What?!? :uh: This makes no sense.
The BMW 5-Series has competition from the 3-Series below it and the 7-Series above it, yet it sells. The MB E-Class has competition from the C-Class below it and the S-Class above it, yet it sells. |
Originally Posted by MattyG
(Post 10155364)
All German RWD platforms. Same sausage different length. Varying content levels and of course the fancy tech starts at the top with the S class and trickles down to the other cars. OTH the Lexus GS is RWD while the big money making ES is FWD. It's closer to the Camry than the Germans are to their FWD products.
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Sadly, I dont even care if they cancel it. They dragged their tail for so long, and their two last models were so disappointing that GS doesn't even matter anymore.
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Originally Posted by arentz07
(Post 10155391)
I think what mmarshall was getting at was that for some reason, Lexus gives customers another midsize sedan option to think about, one that is far cheaper than the GS. That option is in addition to possibly just getting the more affordable IS instead. Since the current GS doesn't have an awful lot more features compared to the IS and to an extent, not a ton more space, spending extra money on it is dubious. Even the aging Audi A6 is probably a better buy in terms of feature content, and cheaper options like the ES and G80 are more comfortable in terms of ride quality (I've driven the three). I think the GS could be great, but it needs the new tech and platform from the new LS.
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Originally Posted by arentz07
(Post 10155391)
I think what mmarshall was getting at was that for some reason, Lexus gives customers another midsize sedan option to think about, one that is far cheaper than the GS
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So they stopped production for the European market. But the article doesn’t solidify that Lexus has canceled the GS. Lexus could just be ramping the plant up for production of the all new 5GS based on the GA-L platform. I find it hard to believe Lexus will actually abandon the midsize luxury car segment altogether. The ES isn’t even considered a legit luxury car by many professional car critics. It’s listed as a near luxury car that competes head to head with the Acura TLX and Buick LaCrosse. The ES is nice car, But you will never see a comparison test from Car and Driver any other popular car publications with the ES running up against the E-class and 5 series or Jaguar XF. Also Toyota will never pay off the development cost associated with their all new GA-L platform by just selling the very low volume LS/LC and mediocre selling IS models. They are working on the midsize Toyota Crown and it only makes since they will reintroduce the GS possibly as a 4 door coupé. |
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