Jump to content
Create New...

Lexus News: Few Regrets on Lexus: Jim Lentz


Recommended Posts

Automotive News had a chance to speak with Toyota's North America CEO Jim Lentz. During the chat, the topic of Lexus came and Lentz had something interesting items to say about.

First, Lentz said that it would have been wiser to build a three-row crossover first, and not the image coupe RC.

"In hindsight, if I was making this decision 10 years ago, seeing what I see today, the three-row [crossover] probably would have been the better play to come out first," said Lentz.

The three-row crossover would allow the brand to hold on to the Gen Y crowd as they begin to have families and begin looking for a larger vehicle.

Now Lentz doesn't say the RC is a mistake. The coupe has been doing quite with sales of 4,258 for the year so far - putting it ahead of the LS flagship.

Lentz also makes it clear that Lexus will not be heading downward to compete with the likes of the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA, both which start under $30,000.

"In the luxury business, chasing volume is not a good strategy. Luxury cars cost a certain dollar amount for a reason. I don't want to cheapen my cars just to offer a lease that's $20 a month less," said Lentz.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)


View full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wasn't the GX a 3 row SUV, or does he want a unibody crossover?  Either way, they had the GX, it just sucked for so many years because it was based on an old 4Runner.  They should replace the GX with a Lambda-like 3 row crossover but in the $50-65k range.  The NX  has the $30s, the RX has the $40-50k range.

 

As far as down market goes, the CT200h is cheaper than a CLA, and the IS, ES, RC and NX are cheaper than a C-class.  Aside from the RX, the bulk of Lexus sales volume is cars with a base price under $37k.   I don't think Lentz wants to put his average sale price against the Germans or even Cadillac.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wasn't the GX a 3 row SUV, or does he want a unibody crossover?  Either way, they had the GX, it just sucked for so many years because it was based on an old 4Runner.  They should replace the GX with a Lambda-like 3 row crossover but in the $50-65k range.  The NX  has the $30s, the RX has the $40-50k range.

 

Crossover. The GX is just too thirsty and wobbly. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search

Change privacy settings