5 Ways Lexus May Have Been Able to Save The CT200h
A small hatchback that is good on gas, and has all the good stuff Lexus is famous for (luxury, reliability, etc.) seems like a winner, but the CT200h was a flop here in America. Here's a few simple changes that could have made it a star.
Goodbye CT200h - R.I.P.
A few months back Lexus broke the news that they have pulled the plug on the aging and slow selling CT200h hatchback. When sales started in 2011, the CT200h was only competing against the aging Audi A3 hatchback, but since then, the segment has gotten more crowded with new entrants from Audi, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz all of which are quicker, better equipped, and better values than the Prius powered CT200h. While sales were steady over its first few years, the numbers took a serious dive in 2016, making a case for the CT to be axed. I found that the CT, despite being underwhelming, had plenty of potential if Lexus had played their cards right. Here are my 5 ways that Lexus could have made the CT a bigger success.
1. More Powertrain Options
This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. The CT200h's 1.8 liter 134 horsepower hybrid powertrain, borrowed from the Prius, is reliable and efficient, however the positives stop there. The CT200 is nowhere near as good on gas due to its aerodynamics when compared to the Prius, and its 10 second 0-60 time is painfully slow for anything with luxury aspirations. The aging 2011 Audi A3 TDI hatchback managed to be over a second quicker to 60 and still achieved a noteworthy 36 miles to the gallon combined. The CT would have benefited from using the 2.5 liter 200 horsepower hybrid powertrain that the ES300h and Camry Hybrid use, and manage to still get reputable fuel economy (Lexus says the ES300h gets 40mpg combined). I however would also have liked to see the 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that Lexus introduced in the NX200t and IS200t as an option, or (as pictured above) a supercharged version of the factory 1.8 liter.
2. A Restyled Interior
Lexus recently showed the refreshed 2018 CT200h that other markets will be receiving, and though it gets a slightly restyled exterior, the interior remained largely unchanged apart from a new 12.3 inch display. As an owner of a CT200h, I find this to be an utter shame. The current interior design has aged poorly and lacks some of the materials and quality that you expect from a Lexus product. When you sit in an Audi A3, it feels like you're sitting inside a smaller A8, rather than just a cheaper Audi. If Lexus had used this approach, and made the interior more like a IS350, or RC350, they could have attracted a larger crowd toward the CT200h.
3. More Technology
In its fully loaded form, the CT200h costs a little over $40,000, but for that price, you won't find a blind-sport warning system, lane-keeping assist, automatic braking, or rear cross-traffic alert. A majority of these features can be had on cars that are close to half the price of the CT200h, not to mention most of near luxury rivals. Apart from a lack of safety aid's, the CT200h also lacks some other convenience features such as Android Auto/Apple Car Play. At least this aspect will likely be fixed in the updated version we won't get.
4. Different Bodystyles
While the CT200h is a good looking car as a hatchback, hatchbacks aren't as popular as they used to be, especially in this class and price range. Cars like the Infiniti QX30 and Mercedes GLA boast SUV like functionality and practicality but are similar in price to the CT200h. The CT200h's only hatchback rival was the last generation Audi A3 hatchback, which Audi replaced in favor for a sedan, an arguably more popular body style (Audi does still sell the A3 as a hatchback but only in E-Tron form). The CT200h could have benefited from a sedan counterpart, but given the slow demise of the sedan and a shifting consumer focus towards SUV's, it is rumored the CT will be replaced by a subcompact crossover smaller in size than the NX crossover.
5. A Performance Variant
Lexus offered the CT with an optional F Sport package, however the changes were mostly subtle cosmetic upgrades, like most F sport packages. The idea of a Lexus "hot hatch", a CT-F, has definitely crossed our imaginations. A hypothetical performance compact would ideally be able to compete with the Mercedes CLA/GLA 45 AMG, Audi S3, and would find a crowd with the Japanese hot hatch enthusiasts. Such model would fit perfectly in the lineup serving as a sub $50,000 enthusiast car, but alas it is one that will never see the light of day (at least in the USA). Maybe we will get a hotted up version of the compact crossover CT replacement?
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