The fate of the Lexus GS appears to be sealed following an admission from the Japanese carmaker that its sedans won’t survive unless they are overhauled.
Speaking to Automotive News about the future of Lexus sedans, Toyota global branding chief Tokuo Fukuichi said that huge demand for SUVs and crossovers means sedans need to become more dynamic and less formal.
“Unless we can really offer a sedan experience you cannot have with an SUV or crossover, I think the sedan may not be able to survive if it does not evolve.”
“At a certain point of time, the traditional, square, three-box sedan will go away,” Fukuichi said.
According to the executive, SUV and crossover models have dramatically improved in recent years and are now as comfortable as sedans and handle just as well. Fukuichi cites the steering response of sedans as one of the key areas that needs to be improved.
“At the initial touch, it needs to respond sharply. The LC is quite close,” he said.
Beyond the future of the Lexus sedan, Fukuichi also said he’d be interested in creating a station wagon for Toyota’s luxury division.
“Personally, I would like to have a Lexus wagon if we had enough resources. Maybe not as tall as an SUV but not as short as a wagon. There could be some optimized packaging. If we’re going to do it, it can’t be just an ordinary station wagon.”
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