Rockville or anybody else who has inside info...Will European market get bigger V6 diesel(3-3.5L) for GS and for RX. IS220d is the first Lexus diesel, but will Lexus produce larger displacement diesel for bigger models?

 

As far as we can tell, Lexus won't be introducing a diesel engine for the GS range.

Instead, Lexus have invested in hybrid technology, and their GS450h will make an appearance at some point within the next 1 - 2 years.

Lexus recognised that the diesel small executive market in Europe is particularly important (especially in the UK where company car drivers are taxed on emissions) so have launched the new IS220d with what is in effect a Toyota Avensis diesel engine. It's a cracking power plant, though.

My personal take is this: we'll all be driving electric cars at some point in the future, whether powered via fuel cells, hydrogen or whatever. Lexus' hybrid technology (and Honda's IMA) is the manufacturers' way of getting consumers used to the idea of having electric motors powering our vehicles.

 

Hybrid Synergy Drive system is the direction Lexus/Toyota is going. But if the popularity of the IS220d becomes I hit, who knows how that will affect the GS line up in the future. At this point, it's not likely since HSD is the direction.

 

I would think that eventually Lexus will have V6 diesel - whole market is moving towards that in Europe (that includes popular Toyota SUV's there), but I would not expect it anytime soon.

Also, nobody from Lexus USA would know anything about it.

And HSD will work just fine with V6 diesel, even better than with V6 petrol engine... we will probably see it within next 5 years somewhere...

Or actually, 4cl diesel from IS220d would work great with HSD as well, we would probably be talking about realistic +60mpg in the mix, in the big car like GS... And significantly faster car than GS430...
Refinement and cost are the issues right now for that to happen.

Nevertheless, Toyota will have V6 diesel, eventually.

 

If Lexus wants to score big in Europe with the new GS they will need a good Diesel engine for this car, on short term.

 

As SpWolf indicated we are not privy to the Euro strategy for Lexus even though we are interested. It would seem odd for Lexus to bring out a new model for such a small market share. I guess it would depend on how the IS220d does. The idea that SpWolf had about a Diesel Hybrid makes a lot of sense also. Even Hydrogen fuel cells will require the technology established by the Hybrids.

 

The reason for lexus' small market share is the lack of a diesel version.

 

I also haven't heard anything about a diesel on a GS, but who knows...
As others already wrote, in Europe the diesel engine thing is a very important question, that's why Lexus couldn't be as popular as it would deserve to be.
I think things will change with the new IS, and i'm expecting sales about 60-70% with diesel engine.
In Hungary GS was a very expensive car, on one of the threads i already wrote, that here the Gen 2 GS is still on sale (and still no news about the Gen 3...) , and what they ask for the loaded 300 version is a horror, i mean at current exchange rate it's about 80000 $ and more... So people who can spend so much for a car, they prefer German ones, and they say that those cars have more prestige and so on. I don't agree with that, i mean i don't choose a car by prestige, for me it's more important that i know that the vehicle won't have any problems and won't let me down in the middle of nowhere. And other question, that Lexus cars are really loaded with features, you don't have to pay for a lot of options, that are extras at a german car.
So i think IS will be the most favourite model, with the RX (sadly we cannot choose ES or GX, only by special order, but then we have to pay even for the shipping), but i do hope that with such features and luxury the GS will also be a popular choice. If people would just seat in and try a Lexus... they would not choose German cars anymore.