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Future Vehicles 2009 Lexus Small SUV/RAV 4
12 messages, Last post on Mar 10, 2009 at 7:19 PM
You are in the Future Vehicles Forum. Your Host is kirstie_h
| Anyone have any specifics of the 2009 Lexus small suv which may be based on the RAV4 platform that is intended to compete against the BMW X3? | |
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By MARK RECHTIN, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS Toyota may build a compact Lexus SUV--even though company executives repeatedly have denied interest in the niche. The little Lexus would compete with the BMW X3, Acura RDX and Infiniti EX35 crossovers--and the coming Mercedes-Benz GLK and Audi Q5 crossovers. Executives worried that such an offering would diminish the Lexus brand and overlap with Toyota-badged vehicles. But the proliferation of vehicles in the compact-luxury segment has led the executives to rethink their stance. Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. president, says a small Lexus SUV could be a response to the "urbanization" of Gen Y buyers and empty-nest boomers. Toyota's advanced product strategy group is studying a demographic trend--people who are "sick of the suburbs, but who don't want to give up the utility of their SUV," he said. "A small luxury SUV might be the right product for that environment," Lentz said. But he said a $30,000 compact SUV might not work because of luxury features that would be sacrificed to hit the price. Going smaller than the RX 350 crossover would require an all-wheel-drive version of the RAV4 platform. |
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build a luxury crossover off the RAV4 platform?? I guess the powertrain it would use is ready to go, but BOY would this thing need a lot of refining from its RAV4 roots to sell as a Lexus! I doubt they could do all the modification they would need to do to make it a credible Lexus and sell it for much less than an RX350. And if they are $3-4K apart in price, what's really the point?
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Replying to: nippononly (Feb 05, 2008 2:02 pm) |
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Replying to: wwest (Feb 07, 2008 4:43 pm) |
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Replying to: nippononly (Feb 10, 2008 7:50 pm) 
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Replying to: mackabee (Feb 11, 2008 5:40 pm) And no Lexus is based on the Corolla. And Toyota already announced that the current ES is the LAST based on a Camry. Clearly they are not too crazy about the notion of Lexi based on Toyota platforms either... |
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Replying to: nippononly (Feb 10, 2008 7:50 pm) You're essentually accusing Lexus (and Toyota) marketing folks of being stupid, which they are not! Introducing the RAV first would be severely reducing the higher profit potential that would result if the Lexus RAV led the Toyota by about a year or so. How many potential, deep pocket, upscale buyers would op for the Toyota were it to come out first?
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Replying to: wwest (Feb 18, 2008 1:44 pm) |
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| Called SE Toyota (Big boys these) asking when 2009 RAV-4 would be out. They said 6 Nov and would be only minor upgrades. Obviously this isn't the rumored Japanese named Vanguard rumored to be the new RAV-4. Assume the Vanguard will be a Lexus or if a Toyota might be years off. Bummer. I wrote to your host Steve(r) and he got right back to me, this is a nice place to summon needed info. Thanks Stever. | |
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