USA
Lexus reported total sales of 17,576 units, a 7.8% drop from last April — here are the model-by-model stats:
| MONTH | Year to Date (*DSR) | |||||
| 2011 | 2010 | % CHG* | 2011 | 2010 | % CHG* | |
| ES | 3,493 | 4,396 | -23.5 | 12,038 | 13,528 | -12.8 |
| CT | 875 | 0 | N/A | 3,074 | 0 | N/A |
| HS | 279 | 1,076 | -75.0 | 978 | 4,529 | -78.8 |
| LS | 776 | 1,182 | -36.8 | 3,157 | 3,967 | -22.0 |
| SC | 0 | 32 | -100.0 | 14 | 113 | -87.9 |
| GS | 385 | 514 | -27.9 | 1,488 | 2,176 | -33.0 |
| IS | 2,640 | 2,701 | -5.9 | 9,669 | 10,032 | -5.5 |
| LFA | 5 | 0 | N/A | 22 | 0 | N/A |
| Total Cars | 8,453 | 9,901 | -17.8 | 30,440 | 34,345 | -13.1 |
| LX | 302 | 258 | 12.7 | 1,199 | 1,108 | 6.1 |
| GX | 1,019 | 746 | 31.5 | 4,443 | 5,533 | -21.3 |
| RX | 7,802 | 7,454 | 0.8 | 28,850 | 26,896 | 5.2 |
| Total Trucks | 9,123 | 8,458 | 3.9 | 34,492 | 33,537 | 0.8 |
| Total Sales | 17,576 | 18,359 | -7.8 | 64,932 | 67,882 | -6.2 |
At first glance, these numbers are disappointing — however, the single biggest factor affecting Lexus sales right now is inventory due to March’s earthquake in Japan. There’s just not enough cars to meet demand.
This is most strongly reflected in the CT’s second-month sales of just 875 after first-month sales of 2,199 units — if CT sales had matched even 80% of last month, Lexus would have been looking at a overall sales increase. It’s also likely that high sales volume models like the IS & ES were also affected by a lack of inventory.
There’s also some interesting things happening with three other car models, namely the SC, GS, & HS. After a slow trickle for the last year, the SC 430 has finally hit zero sales, which officially closes the door on Lexus’ oldest model. The GS, which now replaces the SC as the longest-serving model in the lineup, will continue to see sales slip as the brand prepares to introduce the next-generation sedan.
It’s the HS, though, that is suffering the most. There’s no obvious explanation to what’s happened to the hybrid sedan’s sales — though I suspect that most of production is being held for the Japanese market, where it sits among the brand’s top selling models. Still, a near 80% drop in sales for the year is a tough one.
Luckily, it’s not all bad — the Lexus SUV lineup is enjoying a real resurgence after a dip in 2010, with all three models on the positive side of the ledger. Of course, the obvious reason for the GX’s gigantic 31.5% boost is the fact that last April was the infamous Consumer Reports test that shut down GX sales for most of the month, but at this point, you have to take positives where you can get them.
Canada
As slow as sales may be in the USA, Lexus Canada just had their most successful April ever with 1,623 sales, up 18.5% from the same month the previous year. Here are some specifics:
- In its second month of sales, 185 CT 200hs were sold.
- Best month ever for the IS C, up 7.4%.
- Lexus SUV sales up 29.5%.
- Lexus car sales up 7.7%.
- GX 460 up 55.6%
- Canadian-built RX 350 up 37.6%.
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