Lexus’ Changing Direction
“…We can’t just be looked at as an upgraded version of Toyota.”
That’s the word from Lexus brand manager Kiyotaka Ise who has succinctly summed up the motivation behind Lexus’ new direction. The reality for Lexus is that they’re still being seen as a fancy Toyota. That might be hard to hear, but it’s a true and well deserved assessment.
Someone not familiar with the brand could easily mistake the LX as a worked over Highlander and the ES a Camry with a facelift. That might be comforting to former Toyota owners looking to trade up to something familiar and reliable, but that’s a survival strategy. Not a winning strategy. Ultimately their cars need to be desirable in order for them to compete-or to even be seen as competition-with their rivals in Germany. Comfortable doesn’t cut it.
Lexus’ new direction with GS and the now ubiquitous spindle grill are their first steps in trying to evoke “emotional design.” It’s a little like Lexus is entering their awkward teenager phase. Their cars are going through some funky bodily changes and they can’t stand being like their parents. Should this new direction be successful, Lexus’ new design process will make it’s way to their parent company. Toyota President Akio Toyoda explicitly said this at the GS’s reveal at Pebble Beach last year. “Lexus is leading the way in how the entire Toyota Motor Corporation should operate.”
In that case, we hope that Lexus’ new direction is genuinely exciting. The new GS is a great start, as is the spindle grill. They’re a sign that Lexus is doing something they haven’t done before: They’re being bold.
Will everyone like it? No, but everyone doesn’t have to like it. Not everyone liked the CLS when Mercedes released it, but it was different. Not everyone liked the “Bangle butt” BMW 7 series, but they were different. More importantly, they were successful. Lexus, it seems, has learned that lesson and are doing something different. That’ll separate them further from Toyota, sure, but when you’re trying to capture the imagination of customers, that’s the best possible move to make. As long as they keep doing the important things well, they can just let the haters keep on hating.
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