Lexus Wants To Know, SHOULD They Build The LF-Ch Hybrid Concept? Take The Survey And Let Them Know!

Yeah build one, but have 2 Conventional Powertrain Options and price it $5,000-$10,000 below the IS.

Since this car is to get younger buyers into the brand, you guys are going to have to price it as such.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 4:46:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Yes.

1. It looks good.

2. It would make Lexus competitive in a sector with development potential. Western World is massively indebted and its purchasing power will wind up. Premium automotive business will need to downscale to small cars with some expensive taste. That's what this LF-Ch (and numerous others, like BMW 1er) are.

3. Full hybrid drivetrain will make it very efficient according to modern standards and very durable as well. No variable vane turbos, no expensive injection, no expensive exhaust treatment, no pricey engine block and automatic/automated transmission (full hybrids have NO transmission), long brake pads life etc. will make for low total ownership costs over the years.

4. Any hybrid carries plug-in extension potential. Hopefully, when battery prices fall, a lot of aftermarket kits will appear for such vehicles. In the same way we tune cars today for power, future vehicles could be tuned for improved efficiency, lower emission and more oil independence.

One note for Lexus - make the production look rather like the concept, inside and out. Lot's of Lexus prototypes have ended in a too politically correct (occasionally also weird) form when entering reality.

— downtoearth (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 4:48:37 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Build it and they will come......to buy, it that is.

— david999 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 5:03:13 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

it doesnt look "all that" but it probably wouldnt hurt

— LexusKindaGuy12 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 5:19:32 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Well, duh, of course they should build it. And please stick close to the concept.

— lexusrox123 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 5:24:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I didnt know they had friends at Lexus...

— lexusrox123 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 5:50:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

finaly a good looking hybrid from Toyota. If it is built it will take away Prius sales.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 6:15:11 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Build It. with a bit of nip and tuck. Especially change the front bumper and grille. I approve of the rear tail light treatment.

— skinny (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 6:54:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Only build it in the fully loaded hybrid flavour.

— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 8:31:52 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

The Younger buyers Lexus wants to Attract cant afford $30,000 Hatchbacks, or it would be an extravagant expense they should not be engaging in.

The IS only costs $30K to get in. Why not make this thing $25K or even $20K to stop young people from buying lower priced Near Luxury offerings such as: Elantra Tourings, SAAB 93s, and Volvo C30s?

That's right you guys are Toyota fans. You older Gen Xers and Younger Baby Boomers guys in your 40s, 50s, and 60s are so out of touch with the real world of cars you dont get it. You see things in a prism from 10 even 20 years ago, and you have the never to ask this stupid question:

"Why arent younger buyers choosing Lexus?"

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 8:36:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

Im the younger car buyer you guys are trying to attract. Will you guys listen? Hyundai sure is.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 8:38:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

Why pay $30K or even $25K for a car the size of a shoe when you can get a truck for that price?

Secret:

A good near Luxury C-Segment Hatchback or small car should have a good highly fuel efficient powertrain for its size, choices of Leather and cloth, or Basic Leather, possible HIDs, Nice Wheels, clean lined interior, sensible, and affordable enough to attract younger buyers, but not too cheap. Its essentially going to be an Econo car on Steroids.

Prices for such cars should be no less than $17K and no more than $25K depending on the brand. Hyundai can do that for $17K-$18K in nice spec Elantra, but with Lexus it would probably cost them $24K do the same.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 8:48:25 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -4   

A small amount of chrome too.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 8:50:51 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

Some of the small VWs are gret examples of what Im talking about as well.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 8:52:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

Lexus should build it!

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 9:38:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Hyundaismoke,
Apparently Japanese autoworkers make on avarage $31,000 USD a year, Korean ones make roughly $9,600 USD. That's how Hyundai can make their cars so cheap, along with nice gov't subsidies and protection and a little currency manipulation. On top of that, a couple years ago when Toyota was making boatloads of money, the average Japanese autoworker got bonuses in the range of $21,000 USD. Hyundai/Kia gave their unions about 2 months pay.
http://www.japaneconomynews.com/2007/03/15/japans-auto-workers-get-pay-raises-a-bit-and-better-bonuses/

Do you really think someone looking at this Lexus (or something in its price range) will look at a Hyundai? The new Toyota coupe will be what Hyundai needs to pay attention to.
Hyundai will never get the respect it wants by always undercutting by 33+%.

I think Hyundai should leave this thing in Europe or only bring over the top line model, you have to pay to play.

— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/29/2009 11:53:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

nice survey....all the questions are multiple choice and only allow you to tell the things you like about the car. because, of course, nobody could have anything critical to say about it.

it's a pimped out ECONO-CAR. what's this one based on? the corolla is my guess.

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 12:18:37 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

huu, they are building a small car plant for Accents and Velosters in Brazil as we speak. They plan on selling 10,000 a year in Brazil and Exporting 90,000 of them. They need to keep the costs down and reliablity to the current high standards, in order to put in high end options in small cars.

As an Accent owner, Im pissed about them striking, becuase most of the striking workers are from the Accent Plant in Ulsan. Striking workers= unacceptablly late aftermarket parts. The Unions in Korea dont have a chance. Or have you forgotten that even though Hyundai sales arent as large as Toyota, the Hyundai company with its other industrial divisions as a whole makes Toyota look small?

As time goes on, most of Hyundai's products will be made in Eastern Europe, South America, South Asia, and North America. They are getting it to where only the powertrains will be made in Korea.

Hey its the cheapest and fastest way to keep prcies relatively low, while adding more features to the car.

Hyundai has 6 new plants going up Globally.

Brazil: 1. Small car plant.
China: 2 Plants.
United States: A KIA Plant
Russia: 1 Plant
Canada: 1 Plant

Hyundai is also doubling the size of its Alabama Plant to Produce 200,000 cars a year. Cars will be build at all Hyundai Plants for now on, and only Trucks will be built a KIA plants for now on. Hyundai has a history of making better cars than KIA, and KIA has a history of making better trucks than Hyundai. Alabama Plant will be expanded to build KIA Soul, and Optima.

Hyundai is also looking at 2 more plant sites for the US one in West Virginia or Kentucky, and the Other in Ohio or Indiana. As the Dollar Sinks this will be even more of anadvantage to the company.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 1:52:21 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

build it!
price it below the IS.

— DROOPYSAKK (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 10:10:04 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Build it... because I have a Subaru WRX 5 door premium with Navigation now and no girl I discovered knows what a Subaru WRX is and thinks its a Scion because they are delusional and only care about discretionary income and badges prove discretionary income therefore more sex appeal. If not I will buy the Lexus Hs250h anyway because women like Hybrids but like Lexus hybrids more. Sorry guys! I need puntang and I am not getting it since I traded in my unreliable POS BMW that broke down all the time and cost me thousands!

— pennfootball (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 11:40:30 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

penn, Its s shame that Toyota doesnt focus its energies in Subaru as a Young people's upmarket car. It is a young people's upmarket car, and they need to invest more into that. Also, as of late Subaru has been scoring somewhat higher than Toyota in reliability on some surveys.

You guys have excellent options. My only gripe with Subaru is the lack of efficient powertrains.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 7:45:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

I love the way Subbies sound, believe it or not Hyundais with Intakes and Exhaust, etc.. sound similar.

— HyundaiSmoke (View Profile)

Posted on 9/30/2009 7:46:37 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0