I have plenty of photos of the Lexus display at the Paris Motor Show, but first, let’s start off by taking a look at the opening press conference from Lexus Europe Vice President Andy Pfeiffenberger:
Important points on the CT 200h:
- Lexus lineup will be fully hybrid in Europe by 2015.
- The CT 200h is expected to double European Lexus sales by the end of 2012.
- The CT 200h will be the Luxury C-Segment class leader in fuel effiency & low emissions.
- CT 200h Fuel Economy: 3.8L/100km, or 61.8 MPG, much different than the 42 MPG quoted by Lexus USA (likely because of different testing methods).
- CT 200h CO2 emissions will be just 89g per km.
- CT 200h emits substantially less NOX than diesel competitors and absolutely no particulates.
- In France, the CT 200h will start at less than €30,000.
- Sales start across Europe in November.
I also like this video from Car News TV, which provides a good overview of the Lexus display before we dive into specific models:
I was very impressed with the Lexus presence at the show, and not just with the vehicle selection, but with the people staffing the display and all the executives I talked with.
Overall, there was a lot of optimism about the CT 200h, and rightfully so — given the size of the premium compact market in Europe, this is a massive opportunity for Lexus to establish a much stronger position, and everyone seems very excited by the possibilities.
No discussion thread for this article yet.