mink92890

Autospies says the new LS430 is going to be the LF-S concept

Lexus to take on European cars at high end of Japanese market

Highlights from the article:

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Co. will bring its Lexus brand home in August 2005 to battle the Europeans who have been gaining market share in the luxury segment. When the fight begins, it will be Japanese heritage vs. European prestige.

"The battle is going to be interesting," said Patrick Pelata, the executive vice president at Nissan charged with product strategy. Imports made up only 5.3 percent of the Japanese market through September, but in the luxury segments, the imports have about 40 percent. The BMW 3-series is the No. 2 luxury car in Japan, behind the new Nissan Teana and ahead of the Toyota Celsior, which is the Lexus LS 430 elsewhere in the world.

At the Tokyo Motor Show in October, Toyota introduced the Lexus brand to Japanese customers with two concept cars: the LF-S, a sleek sedan that will be the next LS 430, and a crossover, the LF-X, that will battle the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz GST. Lexus debuted as a brand in 1989 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

A new look is a critical part of Toyota's strategy, because in 2005 dealers must convince Japanese customers that a Lexus LS 430 is no longer a Toyota Celsior.

"It will be interesting to see how they do that -- taking the same car they are selling one day as a Toyota and the next day selling it as a Lexus," said Tony Merigold, an analyst specializing in the Japanese market at Global Insights in London. "It will come down to image, service and the advertising package that goes with it."

chuckchung

yea i saw that in the cars forum too...it looks too small to be a LS series car though