Selling cars is not the easiest of things - which explains why I don't try and do business model analysis and such - but I assume being in the premium category can be quite a pain in the neck. Selling sedans, hatchbacks and wagons to the larger slice of society for a group of people who want more and better stuffs' because they reckon they want it is different to the people who want more simply because they expect and deserve it. It may not be clear as day, but just maybe, moneyed people gossip too and having the wrong' car is not something one wants to be known for.
As such, that could be a reason why BMW and Mercedes have such as tight grip in Europe and pretty much all of continental Asia and South America. Audi may be big in China but you can bet the bosses are constantly shifting in their seats anyway. A name like Lexus is strong too, and based on the last generation of IS and LS, plush comfort and refinement is something that they can excel at just as well. But they need something ground breaking to help things along - a design shift may help.
By the look of their new identity, it may just be enough to build momentum. I was never a big fan of the rather safe Lexus look before but at the same time, the new visually loud front bumper and grille seemed a bit offensive at first. It was being different in what I first thought as too cavalier, nothing that is associated with premium has ever had those kind of sharp edges and flash. But once I saw it with my own eyes, it quickly grew on me and the GS 250 I test drove recently confirms that it is more than just a car that looks different. Continue Reading »
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