Lexus has decided to go on the offensive to shrug off its air of predictability.
Lexus has decided to go on the offensive to shrug off its air of predictability.
Lexus US’s general manager, Danny Clements, said this week that Lexus and its parent company have come up with an agenda to stir things up within the next few years.
Clements admitted that while Lexus may do things as well as, or even better than is expected, it doesn’t really have a strong visual appeal. He said that the brand has fallen into a dreary rhythm and needed to be changed.
“We (Lexus) launch a car, then have a minor change after three years, and then a redesign two years after that,” Clements said.
“Meanwhile, the Europeans have new product news and variations coming every year, and they’re always on magazine covers. Lexus needs to be like that.”
And he is optimistic that by the end of 2007 each new car will be a redesigned one and all-wheel drive will be available across the range.
The current top-of-the-range LS430 will move into second spot as a new flagship is set to take its place.
The rumoured super-decadent Lexus is apparently really close to fruition and will offer some stiff competition to the S-Class of Mercedes Benz and BMW’s 7 Series.
“It’s not an issue of if, but when,” a US spokesperson said. “We just need to work out the business case, development cost and volume estimates.”
Clements also said that the company would hope to demonstrate its own design language through its new look. Lexus will have dedicated engineering and product development teams to create the best vehicle as currently, staff are being transferred from Toyota vehicle projects to the more upmarket Lexus version.
“Whatever products we need, we’ll get,” Clements said. “The product planners, designers and chief engineers now are all Lexus-dedicated. There will be more performance, bigger and better wheels, things like that.”
At the same time, Lexus also has its sights set on creating a factory performance division to rival the AMG and M brands.
“An AMG-type sub-brand is coming,” he said. “We have to have those image products as the major strength for Lexus going forward will be the greater variety of product and greater functionality.”