This’ll piss off Tesla.
Did you know that Lexus has a compact hatch in its range, akin to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1-Series? If you didn’t realise that the CT hatch was still a thing, we wouldn’t blame you. It hasn’t been a hit sales-wise compared to its German rivals, largely due to its hybrid-only powertrain and lukewarm driving characteristics.
As a result of its lacklustre reception, we thought that the Japanese luxury marque would look to retire the model in the near future, an assumption strengthened by the arrival of the UX crossover that inhabits the same space as the CT no matter how anyone differentiates hatchbacks and jacked-up hatchbacks. However, comments made by Lexus’ European boss Pascal Ruch to AutoExpress indicates that the company is not about to abandon the luxury hatch segment, and that a new-generation CT will shake up the segment by some way.
“The CT has a high conquest ratio of 70-75%. It’s useful at bringing people to the brand. People buy the CT for efficiency; With the UX, we’re looking for a different customer. If the question is ‘Will we replace the CT?’ let’s say so. If we look back, the brand has experienced a strong evolution step-by-step. But I believe all the segments we’re in now, it’s important to stay there.” — Pascal Ruch, Director (European Division), Lexus
When the next-generation CT comes to fruition around 2020, it’s expected to be underpinned by the same Toyota New Global Architecture… uh, architecture, that’s been employed beneath the skin of the Toyota Corolla. If it plays out that way, the next-generation CT will also likely make use of the new Dynamic Force 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol mill, which should give the baby Lexus some much-needed punch.
Further, there’s chatter that not only will the CT return as the hybrid some of us are already familiar with, but will also come as a full electric model too, which means it’ll be put up against cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Nissan Leaf as well. And knowing Lexus, when they commit the CT EV to production, we’re pretty sure it won’t be badly built and horrendously delayed.
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