Photo: Lexus
The American auto market is the birthplace and burial sight of more than a few luxury automakers. Lexus, for example, came out with the LS 400 specifically to take on the Beverly Hills cul-de-sac, and while they are far from dead, the Japanese are not leaders any more.
Daimler has pulled a huge lead in the past few months, giving rival BMW little chance of catching up until an answer to the brand new CLA four-door coupe arrives. The reason? the CLA is costs from $29,900, has the right badge and bold design that attracts younger buyers.
Wouldn't it make sense for Lexus, who in the past couple of years has been ever bolder with its design, to make such a car as well? Well no, at least according to Jeff Bracken, group vice president and general manager of the Lexus division.
In a Bloomberg interview, Bracken said Lexus is not going below the $30,000 mark, without going too much into detail. We're kind of with him on this one, not because we don't like cheap cars, but because cheap luxury is a myth. You'd have to be a buddhist monk with the options list to buy a CLA-Class cheaper than $35,000 and at that price the Lexus IS, ES and CT are all within reach.
What Lexus won't do, Audi will. They've already announced the new A3 Sedan will go on sale in the US as a 2015 model year at exactly the same price as the CLA. Both cars have modular architecture in common, which could be a clue as to why Lexus can't offer such a car yet.
Wouldn't it make sense for Lexus, who in the past couple of years has been ever bolder with its design, to make such a car as well? Well no, at least according to Jeff Bracken, group vice president and general manager of the Lexus division.
In a Bloomberg interview, Bracken said Lexus is not going below the $30,000 mark, without going too much into detail. We're kind of with him on this one, not because we don't like cheap cars, but because cheap luxury is a myth. You'd have to be a buddhist monk with the options list to buy a CLA-Class cheaper than $35,000 and at that price the Lexus IS, ES and CT are all within reach.
What Lexus won't do, Audi will. They've already announced the new A3 Sedan will go on sale in the US as a 2015 model year at exactly the same price as the CLA. Both cars have modular architecture in common, which could be a clue as to why Lexus can't offer such a car yet.
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