Lexus repositioning wasn’t pressured by new massive brother model Century, says world boss
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Lexus president Takashi Watanabe has informed CarExpert the repositioning of the model wasn’t pressured by the choice of mum or dad firm Toyota to introduce the much more upscale Century model globally.
In October 2025, Century was introduced as the head of the ‘Toyota household manufacturers’ which additionally contains Toyota, GR, finances model Daihatsu (not bought in Australia) in addition to Lexus.
Talking by an interpreter on the Japan Mobility Present (JMS) in Tokyo, Watanabe-san defined the repositioning of Lexus was a part of a broader examination of the place manufacturers will focus for the long run.
“It’s not essentially as a result of we launched the Century,” he mentioned.
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When CarExpert enquired in regards to the timing of the reshuffle, Watanabe-san confused the ever-changing dynamics of the worldwide automotive trade as a tipping level.
“This present represents the timing – we’re at a vital level. It wasn’t simply due to Century, however as a result of the world is altering a lot.”
Lexus is presently performing strongly, with report world gross sales (851,214) in 2024 and an upward development in Australia. Its gross sales regionally are up 9.7 per cent year-to-date.
The much-publicised new strategy comes whereas the model is able of energy relatively than a rethink after lacklustre outcomes.
“Globally there’s a number of variations in notion of what the position of an car, a automotive, is,” the Lexus boss defined.
“There’s an rising change in values that individuals understand about their wants, range – so far as pursuits as issues like that.
“After we begin speaking about vehicles, the position of cars in society, how will we additionally make them sustainable? There are a number of solutions that now floor which weren’t [in play] earlier than immediately’s period.”
The Lexus chief was not speaking about environmental sustainability, however enterprise viability going ahead.
“We had been speaking about ‘how has Lexus been up till now as a model’ – ‘what has been our position?’ And ‘how are we going to maneuver into the way forward for this complete society – how should we evolve?”
“We needed to be introspective and take into consideration that, so for Toyota as an organization, we considered every model’s position, we redeveloped it, and right now, that is our subsequent step transferring in direction of the long run.”
That future noticed Lexus introduced a “extra adventurous” model, with the designers main a presentation displaying a ‘Lexus ecosystem’ together with the LS-badged coupe SUV and six-wheel folks mover ideas.
They had been joined by a catamaran, a small airplane by Joby – an aviation firm Toyota has invested $US 894 million ($A1.38 billion) since 2018 – all posited in direction of an oceanfront mansion.
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