bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

BippuLexus

I know Lexus Japan calls the shots over all. However - for Lexus USA and Canada to have confirmed this - they would have to at least have spoken to the heads in Japan before hand.

To be honest - no one knows if there is plans for the 5GS besides the higher ups. Just because we don't see rumors or spy shots on the 5GS doesn't mean the 5GS doesn't exist. The Toyota Crown exist so the 5GS could still maybe exist and we just don't know about it.

I also think the 4G IS won't grow in size too much. Its main competitor is the 3 Series, C-Class and etc... and they are all pretty much roughly the same size. IE: Depending on how the 3 Series grow - the Lexus IS will follow. Currently, as it stands, the BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS are roughly the same size. (Same width and same height. Lexus IS is about 2 inches longer. Lexus has more front legroom and BMW has more rear leg room.)
Toyota making the compact Lexus IS not so compact anymore to fill a void left by the Lexus GS could lead the Lexus IS down a similar fate of the GS. Where ES sales might cannibalize IS sales.

The Lexus GS sales has been poor already. I feel like if sales are already poor and they were thinking about axing it anyways, what's the point of saying the GS will continue on in the USA? Should just axe it by the end of this year and sell the reminding models for cheap.

pman6

Just like the acura RLX.... why continue to build it with those abysmal sales numbers
it probably costs them nothing to keep building the exact same model in small quantities to satisfy the little demand. They could stretch this car out for 6 more years, selling 100 per month.
They do absolutely zero marketing for the GS and have crappy lease deals anyway.

What a pity. The early generations sold so many more. Now the GS is so insignificant.

SNiiP3R

iTrader: (3)

BippuLexus

It still cost quite a bit money - especially if the cars don't sell. You still have to foot the bill for workers, worker benefits, parts, shipment (GS is from Japan), and etc... It doesn't make any sense to keep selling a 4GS, if they know they are going to cancel it. It just seems like a waste of money.

For the Acura RLX - I have no clue why they keep selling it. Its a horrible car and no one buys it. But - I like to believe Acura keeps it in the line-up as their flag-ship sedan. Maybe they fear they if they remove it, they'll lose whatever prestige they have left.

Fair point and I get where you are coming from. But all car companies offer differently. There are quite a bit of cars that only exist in the USA that don't exist else where. Vice verse too. A good example of this is the Civic Type R. It was sold pretty much everywhere else but not the US-Market. There is a huge demand for it in the US but Honda refuses to sell it till now. And the Civic Type R broke sales records for Honda.
If it was strictly about the money - then the Civic Type R would have always been in the USA.
While its true that a company would want to sell their product on as many markets as possible to increase profits, we have to factor in the production, regulations, emissions and etc... relative to that market. So - would a Lexus GS be profitable in Europe or China given the production price, regulation, emissions and etc....? A lot this factors into it as well. Maybe the Lexus GS just isn't profitable in Europe; I mean GS sales are awful in EU-Markets. The Lexus GS, proven by older sales numbers, that it can be profitable in the US.

I'll still on the no AWD ES and similarity sized IS boat for the US-Market. I just don't see how Toyota will profit from an AWD ES when sales are insanely good already. I think the Lexus IS will remain similarity sized to the 3 Series and C-Class, relatively compact, or the ES will start chopping up its sales.
I forgot who said it - but - someone on the forums said the IS/ES are a 1-to-2 punch because of their similarity in base price. As in, the Lexus IS will offer something compact and if you want space - you upgrade to the ES. I agree with this and I don't think the Lexus can keep doing that if the Lexus IS grows too big.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

possibly because the guy making the comment for lexus usa has a sales quota to make and doesn't want any negative news!

disagree, just as lexus hasn't sold the ES in europe until now... there's no one size fits all (markets) approach.

situman

Yes this would make much more business sense. The only way this can change is if all of a sudden oil goes to $100 or $5 gas and SUVs go out of favor. Perhaps Lexus is biding their time to see where the market goes. They took the same strategy with the 4Runner and with the rising tide of demand for SUVs, all of a sudden you see record 4Runner sales on a almost 10yr old design. Now the GS will not have that kind of glory but at least Lexus will have something to sell if the tide changes all of a sudden.

pman6

it would be a huge shame if lexus stopped making premium midsized rwd sedans, considering that even Hyundai has a bunch of them in its lineup.
You can't do worse than Hyundai. That would be embarrassing.

coolsaber

YUP. Lexus doesnt need to put a firesale poster with trunk money before it has to. I`d rather keep my RVs high/stable on the future leases on the models I`m pumping out from Japan, then say you know what lets call a spade a spade and eat the losses.

Again this plain ole boiler plate PR stuff is what usually comes up when anyone asks a mfgs future plans. They dont want to negatively impact anything currently on the market. I`m sure the marketing guys typed up these canned responses after the cease of GS sales in europe, knowing how intrigued auto journos are about how a huge corp Lexus is takes away their only mid size offering from Europe.

coolsaber

It would be a shame, but then again Lexus has the two most popular Luxury vehicles that basically help keep the lights on at Lexus HQ. The ES and RX. Basically again sad for enthusiasts but happy days for the books at HQ.

arentz07

Don't forget the NX!

I wonder if said announcement could have actually INCREASED sales... People trying to ****** the GSs up before they are all gone.

situman

Hehe its not exactly a collector's item. If people don't want them they wont want them. If they wanted one, they would buy one anyways or would have.

coolsaber

One mans garbage is another mans gold just saying lol

situman

Feel free to give me a $55k piece of garbage any day of the week. Thanks lol.

arentz07

Maybe for the F version (an $80k piece of garbage), it could be somewhat collectible.