“We have to build this vehicle.”
The very angular, and rather fetching Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept car is very much a show of intent for the luxury Japanese brand, given that the demand for SUVs is growing, particularly in the full-size segment, as evidenced by upcoming offerings like the BMW X7. Lexus has, in the past, claimed to have pioneered the ‘crossover-SUV’ segment with the original RX, ditching any semblance of all-terrain ability in favour of better on-road manners while still retaining the commanding driving position that often sells the SUV/crossover idea.
The excitement over filling a gap in the growing SUV lineup is certainly something that Lexus US is very excited about, with the most vocal advocate being Jeff Bracken, the General Manager for the marque in North America. According to a report from Wards Auto, Bracken spoke directly to Lexus global boss Yoshihiro Sawa, who was standing in the audience, about just how critical the LF-1 Limitless is.
“We have to build this vehicle. [Pause] I’m not saying that as an announcement, but we couldn’t be happier of we turned this into a production vehicle. It’s clearly one of the most gorgeous concept cars we’ve ever revealed.” — Jeff Bracken, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Lexus of North America
SUVs are taking the world by storm, with the US market logging a 65% marketshare last year. As such, automakers are scrambling to get as many high-riders in as many segments as they can, including luxury automakers like Lexus. However, their experience in the area will likely circumvent the possibility of a new high-rider diluting the marque’s qualities (the way the Maserati Levante has done).
“We clearly have a gap at the high-end premium cross-utility segment. So we are motivated. This would be a huge addition for us in the cross-utility segment. When you think of the volume we are missing, there’s a high-end gap for us.” — Jeff Bracken, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Lexus of North America
Expanding the Lexus SUV lineup would also decrease the marque’s dependency on the RX for sales, which saw a drop in year-on-year sales to the tune of about 1.8%. However, with the RX still having managed to rack up 102,606 sales last year, there’s no risk of the model disappearing from view. It’s just about to be part of a bigger family, is all.
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