There was a time when Lexus was the top-selling luxury car brand in North America. In fact, it held onto that crown for nearly a decade.
However, after the unfavorable publicity relating to allegations of unintended acceleration and then a production shortage due to the tsunami in Japan, Lexus lost the top spot in sales for luxury cars.
For 2012, Lexus hopes to improve its sales figures, however the goal is not to be the biggest luxury brand anymore.
US Lexus Division Vice-President and General Manager Mark Templin said: "We never were about being the biggest it just happened for all the right reasons." He added that Lexus lost a lot of customers because they didn't have anything to sell them, pointing at the shortage the brand dealt with due to the tsunami.
However, being the biggest is not their main concern said Templin, saying that Lexus would rather be number one at customer experience, quality, value and profitability.
With Lexus looking to introduce 10 new or refreshed models over the next few years, Templin says the brand will see a growth in sales due to their new models, however while some luxury brands are looking to get into A and B segment cars, Lexus will not be doing that to maintain its luxury brand image.
In the first 9-months of this year, Lexus sales in America are down 17%, having shifted 135,647 vehicles until the end of September.
Will 2012 prove to be a better year as predicted by Lexus' senior management? Only time will tell.
More:
Lexus Looking To Increase North American Sales In 2012 on Autoguide.com
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