Hatch’s importance to the brand is undeniable.
Japanese luxury marque Lexus seems keen to let its compact hybrid hatchback, the CT200h, live on a little longer despite the introduction of the UX hybrid crossover, it seems. Industry pundits reckoned that the CT would be culled upon the arrival of the UX, given that they’re roughly the same size and that the UX crossover is more trendy (and therefore likely to sell in healthier numbers).
While we’ll remain committed to what we assumed about the sales figures, it seems that the CT will be asked to stay on in its role of entry-level Lexus for the time being. The reason? Nearly three quarters of all CT buyers are new to the Lexus brand, and that’s an advantage that Lexus doesn’t want to throw away too soon.
“The size of the segment the CT competes in is still very significant. At the moment, I see the UX as delivering additional volume, not necessarily replacing the CT. We’ve just updated the CT, so we have at least two more years of sales to make an evaluation form. There’s no rush to make a decision. Between 70% and 75% of CT buyers are new to Lexus, and that is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our qualities to customers. Of course I hope the UX can deliver similar results, but they don’t have to be at the expense of the CT.” — Pascal Ruch, Director, Lexus Europe
Ruch made his comments to UK publication Autocar earlier this week.
We find the decision to consider retaining the CT an interesting one, albeit for very understandable reasons. Lexus remains a fringe player in the luxury market, not enjoying the sort of sales numbers that its contemporaries like Mercedes-Benz and BMW enjoy. As such, getting new buyers interested in the brand and its products is a critical part of its gameplan, and while the UX will play that role well, the CT’s contributions to date are not to be scoffed at.
Giving buyers at this end of the market options could be key to building long-term relationships with customers. It’s no secret that Lexus buyers tend to be a rather satisfied bunch, happy with sales & after sales service they receive, so the hesitance to cull the CT outright is entirely justifiable. This writer’s rather happy about it: The CT has a certain character to it, and it’d be a shame for it to die a premature death.
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