Lexus to Add Smaller Crossover to Lineup?


Lexus is considering a small crossover that would slot below the UX in their lineup., according to a new AutoCar interview with the brand’s executive vice-president Koji Sato:

“Smaller doesn’t always mean cheaper now, so trends are changing,” said Sato. “I can’t say clearly that it is something we will do, but we are looking at all vehicle opportunities.”

Such an SUV would sit below the recently launched Lexus UX crossover, with a likely starting price well below £30,000. However, Sato hinted that part of the appeal of creating smaller cars was that buyers are increasingly willing to raise the transaction price by buying options. “What customers want is individuality,” he said.

This may reveal itself as the successor to the CT hatchback — rumours have suggested the second-generation model would be offered as both a car & crossover.

Rumors

CRSKTN

Expert
Messages
2,101
Reactions
3,459
What's a comparable car to a sub UX crossover, having a hard time imagining how you get much smaller while still being a CUV.
 

Trexus

Founding Member
Messages
648
Reactions
932
What's a comparable car to a sub UX crossover, having a hard time imagining how you get much smaller while still being a CUV.

It would be the only one in it's class...maybe similar to the Scion IQ/Aston Martin Cygnet...
 

Joaquin Ruhi

Moderator
Messages
1,529
Reactions
2,434
What's a comparable car to a sub UX crossover, having a hard time imagining how you get much smaller while still being a CUV.
It would be the only one in it's class...maybe similar to the Scion IQ/Aston Martin Cygnet...
I don't think it would be as small as a Scion IQ/Aston Martin Cygnet. I'm thinking something the size of a Ford EcoSport, Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore or Hyundai Venue, but with luxury interior and features. Audi offers a Q2 crossover smaller than anything sold in North America, but I'm not sure how it compares size-wise to Lexus UX.
 

flexus

Admirer
Messages
532
Reactions
893
I don't think it would be as small as a Scion IQ/Aston Martin Cygnet. I'm thinking something the size of a Ford EcoSport, Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore or Hyundai Venue, but with luxury interior and features. Audi offers a Q2 crossover smaller than anything sold in North America, but I'm not sure how it compares size-wise to Lexus UX.
It'll be B segment or smaller C segment than UX say 4,3m.
 

internalaudit

Expert
Messages
1,169
Reactions
1,150
B or smaller C segment with 60 kWh battery sounds like 300+ miles to me. :)

CUV height so that two layers of battery cells could be stacked up lol. Maybe Toyota caught wind of Polestar's strategy/playbook.


What Do You Even Call This Thing?
In photos, the Polestar 2 presents an unusual shape. It's not a crossover, but seems higher-riding and more slab-sided than a sedan. In person, though, it's fairly conventional, with nice presence and poise despite the slightly higher roofline. The big wheels, creased wheel arch liner, and gap between the tire and body all play into the visual trick to make it seem taller. "We call it a fastback," says Missoni. "We think that's a really good sweet spot. It combines a higher seating position so the driver can look over the road better, with a hatchback-like shape so there's a lot of space to load into."
 
Last edited:

ssun30

Expert
Messages
3,551
Reactions
7,796
B or smaller C segment with 60 kWh battery sounds like 300+ miles to me. :)

That's way too optimistic. BEV weight don't scale down with size very well. A C-segment SUV with 60kWh will weigh about 1500kg. Even with the most efficient powertrain it will likely draw 24kWh/100mi (same as the Prius Prime and Ioniq EV). That leaves you with 250mi EPA range which is still an overestimate.
 

Will1991

Moderator
Messages
1,589
Reactions
3,232
Well, maybe this is truer than what I wanted to believe:

07231154_5d3676f3d5c9d.jpg


07231155_5d36772473e5f.jpg


With Google Translate I've got up to "Lexus TNGA-B SUV"...

Will we really get a LF-SA thing to replace current CT? If it's true, another one bites the dust with all of this SUV craze...
 

CRSKTN

Expert
Messages
2,101
Reactions
3,459
So like, a CUV based on the Yaris platform, smaller than the UX?

I no longer am able to know what counts as a CUV/SUV.

Could they reuse the tnga-B platform they modified with a tnga-C rear for th GR Yaris? Make it a luxury B class hot hatch with performance e axle or something?
 

Will1991

Moderator
Messages
1,589
Reactions
3,232
So like, a CUV based on the Yaris platform, smaller than the UX?

I no longer am able to know what counts as a CUV/SUV.

Could they reuse the tnga-B platform they modified with a tnga-C rear for th GR Yaris? Make it a luxury B class hot hatch with performance e axle or something?

I guess so, something similar to CHR/UX (not saying they have similar quality because I don't think so, it has good quality but they ar far apart).

And this new Toyota B-SUV is being published has having AWD-i, so it already has a electrified rear axle.


@internalaudit well, it looks small but it's not all that small... The other day I was taking a look at Lexus configurator and running some numbers (I really want to get a new car to even consider an SUV...), and for comparison I always use my 1999 Avensis Liftback, this being said:

3763

3764

Considering my Avensis is a D segment sedan:
-UX is 5mm longer;
-UX has a 10mm longer wheelbase;
-UX is 130mm wider.

It does show how much bigger cars are nowadays...
 

ssun30

Expert
Messages
3,551
Reactions
7,796
That schematic just shows how inefficient TNGA is at packaging. Such a large car for so little interior space...I've been in a UX and it's so impractical that I can't imagine it's almost 4.5m long. In fact the longitudinal RWD BMW X1 has more space. The only products in their lineup that have efficient interior packaging are the ES and RX, so no wonder most of their sales come from these two.

In general TNGA cars so far have consistently less interior space than competitors with similar exterior dimensions.
 

Will1991

Moderator
Messages
1,589
Reactions
3,232
@ssun30 , with UX and Corolla 2L Hybrid probably being the worse... Boot space has significantly decreased because of a small traction battery... It's similar to my sisters 2010 Auris, but 10 years of development later for higher priced products...

There is also the Prius Prime, but at least it has a much bigger plug-in battery.
 

spwolf

Expert
Messages
3,539
Reactions
3,457
That schematic just shows how inefficient TNGA is at packaging. Such a large car for so little interior space...I've been in a UX and it's so impractical that I can't imagine it's almost 4.5m long. In fact the longitudinal RWD BMW X1 has more space. The only products in their lineup that have efficient interior packaging are the ES and RX, so no wonder most of their sales come from these two.

In general TNGA cars so far have consistently less interior space than competitors with similar exterior dimensions.

it depends on what their focus is. For instance, if you put big, comfy front seats with more laid back seat positioning, you will lose "interior packaging" but create a better vehicle. Not everything is in measurments and that is why C-HR sells so well... or NX (trunk is useless there) or UX, or even new Corolla hatch in Europe.
 

Gecko

Administrator
Messages
4,932
Reactions
11,902
What exactly is a B segment CUV? Does someone have an example? Is that smaller than a C-HR/UX? C-HR is very small inside... hard to imagine something smaller than that.

Toyota's CUV/SUV lineup will be crazy by next year (and very impressive):

B-Segment CUV
C-HR
Corolla Cross
RAV4
Venza
Highlander
4Runner
Land Cruiser
Sequoia
... I would still like to see FT-4X and return of the FJ Cruiser 😬

For Lexus, I would love to see a "mini GX" that is NX-sized but more tough looking/offroad oriented. That would be a crazy hit for Lexus.
 

spwolf

Expert
Messages
3,539
Reactions
3,457
What exactly is a B segment CUV? Does someone have an example? Is that smaller than a C-HR/UX? C-HR is very small inside... hard to imagine something smaller than that.

Toyota's CUV/SUV lineup will be crazy by next year (and very impressive):

B-Segment CUV
C-HR
Corolla Cross
RAV4
Venza
Highlander
4Runner
Land Cruiser
Sequoia

I would still like to see FT-4X and return of the FJ Cruiser 😬


It is half size smaller than CHR - so Renault Captur, Nissan Juke, etc.

C-HR never focused on interior space, it has big front seats and multilink rear suspension, it is basically class higher vehicle even if size does not show it.

With Yaris CUV, it would be same class as Captur and Juke, and they could optimize the interior space by changing seating position.
 

spwolf

Expert
Messages
3,539
Reactions
3,457
What exactly is a B segment CUV? Does someone have an example? Is that smaller than a C-HR/UX? C-HR is very small inside... hard to imagine something smaller than that.

Toyota's CUV/SUV lineup will be crazy by next year (and very impressive):

B-Segment CUV
C-HR
Corolla Cross
RAV4
Venza
Highlander
4Runner
Land Cruiser
Sequoia
... I would still like to see FT-4X and return of the FJ Cruiser 😬

For Lexus, I would love to see a "mini GX" that is NX-sized but more tough looking/offroad oriented. That would be a crazy hit for Lexus.

For Lexus, it seems that dealer council president was talking about something additional to LX and not LF-1, maybe GX will go different route? Something to remember is that GX sells good only in the USA.

Unlike LX that sells really good in many countries in the world, and that outsells similar MB models in those countries because it is body on frame with big heritage.
 

spwolf

Expert
Messages
3,539
Reactions
3,457
Here is more about Captur, sharing platform with new Juke, both all new for 2020:

Renault-Captur-2020-infographic.jpg


Renault-Captur-2020-1024-25.jpg


Renault-Captur-2020-1024-67.jpg



I think Captur has been the best seller in Europe, probably selling over 200k.
 

Will1991

Moderator
Messages
1,589
Reactions
3,232
@spwolf , you talked about pricing on the Toyota B-SUV thread, but this one should be even more interesting... Because this should go from 35~45k€ range, for something so small... Call me skeptical or anti-SUV, but I'm not seeing it selling well...

To remember, LF-SA was introduced for 2015 Geneva:
LEXUS_LF-SA_03_GENEVA_MS_2015-750x430.jpg
 

spwolf

Expert
Messages
3,539
Reactions
3,457
@Will1991 I am sure you think UX pricing is also crazy, but it sells well in Europe... so I guess they targeted it well. They would probably do the same here and position it vs Q1 and similar vehicles... markets to cover with this one would be Europe and Japan mostly, so it would have to make sense.

I am not best person to ask about pricing for Lexus as Lexus was never a good seller here, I am sure there is a reason that in Western Europe and Russia it sells pretty good these days.