While models like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA have brought more entry-level buyers into some luxury brands, Lexus has no plans to introduce a cheaper model below $30,000.
Jeff Bracken, Executive Advisor to Toyota North America’s Lexus Division recently told Wards Auto that Lexus has no plans to add a cheaper model to its lineup. “We have no plans to go down below $30,000,” Bracken stated. “Toyota can cover that price range for us.”
Braken also revealed that Lexus has no plans to add as many models as Mercedes-Benz and BMW have. “We also don’t see any value in having a lineup as deep as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.”
So that means that the Lexus UX will be the cheapest Lexus model in the U.S. Lexus hasn’t announced the pricing for the 2019 Lexus UX, but it’s expected to start around $35,000. Even if Lexus has no plans to offer as many models as its German rivals, it is going to add some new models, like a new flagship crossover, which might be called the LQ or LM. A fuel-cell vehicle will also be introduced in the near future.
Lexus also may lose some models, since it recently revealed that it’s evaluating the future of the IS and GS sedans. The Lexus GS has already been discontinued in Europe, but Lexus hasn’t announced any plans to cut it from its U.S. lineup.
Source: Wards Auto
