Now more than seven years old, the Lexus CT has long
since started showing its age. It’s been withdrawn from the US market, its
place at the entry level of the company’s lineup effectively taken by the new
UX crossover. But Lexus is reportedly preparing a replacement.
Auto Express reports that the next-generation CT
will be offered both as a hybrid and as a pure EV.
That’d put it in direct contention with the Tesla Model 3. And it would help
distinguish it from other luxury hatchbacks like the Mercedes A-Class and Audi
A3.
The new Lexus CT would start afresh,
based on the same TNGA platform as the new Toyota Auris (known as the Corolla
Hatchback in North America). But of course it would take a more premium
approach than its Toyota counterpart – in addition to offering powertrains
relying more heavily on electric propulsion.
With models like the CT hatchback and the HS sedan
that came before, Lexus has had difficulty in the past selling dedicated
hybrids – especially in the US. Its primary focus has revolved instead around
hybridized versions of conventional models like the ES, GS, and LS sedans, the
UX, NX, and RX crossovers, and the LC coupe. With the new CT, Toyota’s luxury
brand would seek to turn that around.
