In an interview with Motoring Australia, Lexus International executive vice president Mark Templin makes the case for a higher powered CT hatchback sometime in the future:
“I think the CT got a reputation for its handling steering and suspension system. If we had had a second powertrain in that car, I think sure we would have done a lot more volume.”
“You had the people who loved the CT’s hybrid powertrain, the markets that need that kind of powertrain, and the people who are eco friendly or want to save that money on gas and that’s great,” said Templin.
“But we missed a segment of the market for people who want fast cars; because a lot of people liked the looks and liked the way it drove so they wanted something faster. So yeah sure in the future, I hope we can account for that.”
There was a real emphasis on the CT being hybrid-only when it was first launched, and Templin addresses this decision in the interview:
“It helped us solidify our place in history when it comes to the development of hybrid powertrains and showing that luxury and hybrid go together,” he said.
“It was just a natural step for us to launch a car that came 100 per cent as a hybrid. That was a good play. But in the future? Maybe we need both.”
Powering this gasoline variant of the CT would likely be the new 2.0L turbo set to debut in the LF-NX concept at the Tokyo Motor Show next week — in fact, of all the Lexus models, the CT will probably benefit the most from this new engine.
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