Paul Eisenstein of The Detroit Bureau had an opportunity to talk with Lexus USA General Manager Mark Templin on the future of the LF-Ch hatchback concept:
“There is a group of buyers growing up now who won’t buy cars by the pound,” noted Templin, adding that, “We have already seen a structural shift” to the smaller and lower-priced segments of the luxury market over the last couple years.
So, said Templin, “Going forward, there may be a need for even smaller luxury cars,” but they won’t necessarily be targeting the budget-constrained “entry-luxury” buyer that today goes for such Lexus models as the ES and IS lines.
If response is solid, Templin said a production edition “potentially” will appear in Lexus showrooms by 2012, and perhaps even earlier.
Also of note: the production LF-Ch might not necessarily be hybrid-only, and more likely will be initially released in the USA with a conventional engine. This would be the exact opposite of Lexus Europe, where the LF-Ch may only be available with a gas-electric engine.
[Source: The Detroit Bureau]