Soon-to-be unveiled Lexus hatchback to make its way to the US in 2012

Lexus has been a busy bee these days. Fresh of showing teasers of their latest premium hatchback, Toyota’s luxury brand is now announcing that the car, which is set to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, has now been penciled in for a US release sometime in 2012.

While we welcome the addition of the Lexus hatchback in the States, we remain skeptical as to how the car is going to perform in this part of the world, especially when you consider that hatchback cars aren’t necessarily in demand in the US these days.

Nevertheless, Lexus is pushing through with their plans in hopes that their new car can give the Audi A3 and the BMW 1 Series a run for their money.

Apart from a few renderings loitering around the Web these days, the car is still being kept under wraps before it makes its grand entrance at the Frankfurt Motor Show. From what we’ve gathered though, the car is set to come with the same hybrid drivetrain that’s currently powering one of Lexus’ hybrid vehicles, the HS 250h. If that’s the case, expect Lexus’ new compact car to come with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with a total of 187 horsepower.

Though not yet confirmed, it seems to be in line with what a compact car’s engine should be.

Stay tuned for more updates.