Lexus offers a host of hybrid vehicles, from the NX, RX, ES, GS, LS, and LC. It currently doesn’t have hybrid versions of its F performance vehicles, but that could soon change. Speaking with Auto Express, Lexus boss Yoshihiro Sawa admits there is a place for hybrid F vehicles, including a possible standalone GT model.
Sawa said, “One solution could be a pure F GT car, which could be a hybrid with an electric motor and a strong engine, giving a different kind of drive feel. We don’t stick to V8, V10, twin-turbocharged; they’re important but we’re looking at the future. We’d like to find a way to connect to the next era.”
Sawa talked about the need for the F sub-brand to use a variety of powertrain options in the future. “I think that now, we’re in a transitional period,” Sawa said. “At this moment people say EVs are trendy but three years later, who knows? People like the sound, the dynamics [of combustion engines]. I think we cannot stick to the one solution when it comes to providing emotion.”
The Lexus UX small crossover may be a more natural fit for a pure EV, Sawa says. The model, arriving later this year, has already been confirmed with a hybrid option that offers more power than the gas-only version.
To better compete with German rivals, Lexus wants to build a stronger emotional connection with buyers not only through its F vehicles but also through its overall design. In this vein, Sawa commented on the brand’s controversial spindle grille. He admits it’s polarizing, but the design seems to attract enough new customers to make it worthwhile. “The rate of our sales growth has gone up since we introduced the spindle grille so while we know that some potential buyers don’t like it, many more are coming into our brand,” he said.
Source: Auto Express
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