China

It appears that another smaller-displacement Lexus model will be joining the ES 240 in the Chinese market after spyshots were captured during a domestic road test:

According to Chinese website Sohu, the RX 270 will become the entry-level model in Lexus China‘s RX lineup, and will feature a 2.7L 1AR-FE inline-four gasoline engine, producing 187 horsepower and 252 Nm of torque.

The introduction of lower-displacement models in China is a necessary strategy due to the country’s imposition of high excise taxes in 2008. These taxes targeted vehicles with 3.0L or higher engine displacement, which meant prior to the ES 240’s introduction, all of Lexus China’s vehicles were subject to the 25% to 40% excise tax.

[Source: Sohu.com (translated)]  (Thanks Ouan and Foo Foo!)

The next-generation Lexus GX will be unveiled in China next Monday at Auto Guangzhou 2009:

The Lexus “GX460”, a midsize SUV, will make its world premiere at a press briefing scheduled for November 23. Also on display for Lexus will be the “ES240” and other models.

Also being displayed is the 4-cylinder ES 240, which will only be available in China.

It looks like everything is on-track according to the leaked GX memo, which also calls for the US debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on December 4th and a launch date of January 4th, 2010. This new GX is expected to have power fold flat third-row seating and optional HID headlights, along with a redesigned rear-door.

[Source: Lexus]

The finalized 2010 ES has been revealed by way of the Lexus China website—let’s start off with some exterior photos:

The changes, as far as I can see:

• New front bumper and foglights
• New head lights & tail lights
• Chrome Side strip
• Rear view mirrors with integrated turn signals

On a whole, the exterior changes are minor, and with the exception of the chromed foglights, are all improvements over the current ES.

As far as the interior, the biggest change looks to be a steering wheel—which now has separate buttons rather than the single plastic layout:

Also, there are some new wood accents, with one right under the navigation screen and the other integrated with the glove box. All of these interior changes are great, especially the new steering wheel, but I spot one update I don’t care for: the center arm rest has been replaced instead of retaining the unique easy-close design.

One of the other things revealed on the Lexus China website is that the ES will indeed be offered in that country with the four-cylinder 2AZ-FE engine, which is the same engine that powered the Toyota Camry until it was updated for 2010.

For more photos, and full technical breakdowns, you can visit the Lexus China website.

For those waiting for the next generation of Lexus GX, the wait may soon be over. According to Edmunds, Lexus will be debuting the 2010 GX in Shanghai next month, with full details coming in November. The GX will then reach dealerships some time in December.

(Considering the Shanghai Auto Show is held in February, this will likely be a worldwide press launch event. More details as they come. Also, the Land Cruiser Prado, which is pictured above and directly related to the Lexus GX, is expected to launch at the Frankfurt Auto Show.)

[Source: Edmunds]

In order to boost slowing sales in China, Lexus will be introducing a 2.4L four-cylinder ES model:

From January to April, the sales of imported passenger cars in China increased 16% from a year earlier, with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Lexus rising 1.5% together. But of the four luxury brands, Lexus saw its sales drop by a staggering 36%. This sales plunge is blamed on the higher sales tax on high-emission cars, as only over-3.0L Lexus models are sold in China.

With the ES 240 expected to go on sale some time in the second half of this year, Lexus is certainly acting fast to reverse the slump. Still, even with this smaller engine, the ES will retail for 380,000-500,000 yuan ($55,626-73,192 USD) due to the import car tax.

[Source: Gasgoo]

While it’s true that all car companies have been guilty of design plagiarism at some point, Chinese automaker BYD has taken it too far with their shamelessly brazen copy of the second generation RX, the S6:

These Chinese copycat designs are a rampant problem in automotive design, and what makes the situation worse is that somehow, BYD has been able to copyright the S6 design at the European trademark office. This will no doubt cause Toyota lawyers no small amount of aggravation.

[Source: Carscoop]