2011 hasn’t been the best year for Lexus on the North American market. The world crisis combined with the massive earthquake that shook Japan to its core in March 2011 hurt the company’s sales and made it surrender its 11-year reign as the best-selling luxury brand in the United States. However, Lexus has plans to make a major comeback, announcing plans to offer nine new or updated products to hopefully increase their sales by about 21%. This translates to 240,000 units compared to 2011’s 198,552 units.
"We will grow more than any other luxury brand this year. Our base plan is 240,000. But we think we can exceed that by a pretty good margin," said Mark Templin, Lexus General Manager.
The list of new models includes the GS 350 and GS 450h sport sedans arriving in February, followed by reworked versions of the ES 350, the IS 250 and 350, the LS 460, and the 600h. The LX SUV will also be refreshed in 2012.
But the biggest news for 2012 is the LF-LC Hybrid Concept shown at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. This concept will be immediately followed by a production version priced somewhere between $100,000 and $130,000.
Lexus unveiled the fifth generation ES luxury sedan in 2006 and has battled it out with the Buick LaCrosse ever since. Now, according to a source who spoke with GM Authority, it seems that the company is preparing a sixth generation ES that will make the LaCrosse “laughable” as a luxury vehicle. That sure doesn’t bode well for Buick considering they are currently trying to expand their clientele and not fall into the automotive abyss.
The first details on the next generation ES suggest that the vehicle will be more impressive that anyone could possibly imagine. It will be wider and longer than the current model, but that will only mean that it will be getting to where the LaCrosse is now. However, it will also be the quietest car Lexus has ever made, offering a system that Buick’s Quiet Tuning won’t be able to “hold a candle to.” That being said, its most impressive feature will be placed under the hood. Lexus will be using the new Hybrid Synergy Drive full-hybrid technology that will allow the car to deliver a fuel economy of more than 40 mpg on the highway and even better in the city. “The eAssist stuff won’t even come close.”
Expect to see the new Lexus ES launched sometime in 2013, but stay tuned as more details will surely follow!
Note: Current model pictured above.
The Lexus ES is a a family of mid-size luxury sedans launched by the Japanese maker in 1989 and now being already in its fifth generation (starting 2006). The car was sold in three different versions: ES 250, ES 300 and currently ES 350 depending on the engine displacement found under the hood (2,5 liters, 3,0 liters and 3,5 liters).
The fifth generation Lexus ES has been unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2006 and was sold on the US market as a 2007 model. The model came with an all-new body in the style of Lexus’ new design philosophy, L-finesse, a new 3.5 liter V6 engine and for the first time Lexus has offered a six-speed automatic transmission in a front-wheel drive model.
In 2009 the car has received a mid-cycle facelift that included a revised front and rear styling. Also, in 2009 Lexus has added a new version to the line-up, the ES 240, but it was only sold on the Chinese market.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2006 - 2012 Lexus ES 350.
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This year has been a little lackluster for Lexus in terms of beating our their competition, but the luxury end of Toyota is getting back on track for what it says will be a couple of exciting years. With all its latest innovations, Lexus is planning a few big things to battle it out against the likes of BMW and Mercedes. This includes a full refresh of its luxury sedans, as well as a kick-the-competition-in-the-ass LF-A Roadster.
The passenger-car lineup will be made over by the spring of 2013, as the GS, ES, IS, and LS sedans will all be either redesigned or re-engineered. However, the biggest gun in the arsenal will be the LF-A supercar. The 500 units for the current LF-A coupe will be finished by 2013, then a roadster version will be unveiled in 2014. This model was actually previewed by the LF-A Roadster concept unveiled in 2008, but the production version will feature the company’s latest design language. Lexus hasn’t said anything about the more powerful version of their LF-A supercar rumored a while ago, but we hope that will be their secret weapon somewhere down the line.
In addition to the sedan redo and the drop top LF-A, Lexus also has plans for the future GS-F performance edition and the LS. The company has said that the high-performance version will not feature a conventional V8 engine, but a hybrid drivetrain. The LS will also be redesigned in 2013 - it will get weight-saving technology using premium materials and a new, more economical engine.
The entry-level luxury segment doesn’t get the attention of some of the various other segments, such as the luxury sports sedan category. Yet, attention from car lovers matters about as much to sales as one cloud on a sunny day. Photos on the covers of magazines are all well and good, but sales numbers are what really count.
The reason for this is the fact that companies don’t make a whole lot of money selling a few thousand super expensive machines with plush seats, loads of technology, and a massive motor. Sort of like Rolex and Timex, as one makes a better product, but the latter is far wealthier. So, with so many different automakers trying to soak up the sales of the entry-level luxury game, one would think that sales would be spread, but they’re not. One vehicle has maintained dominance over the herd, the Lexus ES.
In the past decade, Toyota has created 600,000 of these sedans in the U.S alone, with another 650,000 in the rest of the world. What makes this even better for the Japanese automaker is the lack of incentives that go along with the ES. These things are selling straight up.
Hit the jump to read on.
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