In the 1980s, in order to cope with honda's high-end brand Acura, Toyota launched Lexus to conquer the North American automotive market, and the first product was LS. This car can be said to be integrated with Toyota's top car manufacturing process at that time, and under the development of no cost, LS was superior to the 7 Series and S class of the same level at that time in terms of workmanship, driving quality, riding comfort and luxury. I don't know if you are still impressed by the video of the "Champagne Tower" on the LS hood, when the vehicle accelerated to 200km/h, but the "Champagne Tower" did not move. Even now, there are only a few models I think I can do.
However, it is such a Japanese flagship sedan that once overturned the BBA, but the domestic market has always been sluggish, and only 1,000 units were sold in the first half of last year. Instead, its competitors have knocked it to the ground without exception, with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class at 12,985 units, the BMW 7 Series at 12,745 units, and the Audi A8L at 8,249 units.
Whether the problem arises in the product, I think this is not the key, and the product strength of Lexus LS is not bad. The appearance is magnificent and atmospheric, and the size of the spindle grille extends all the way to the lower encirclement, making the front face look very heavy, and the use of chrome decoration highlights a strong sense of luxury. The side lines are sleek and stretchy, and the long front and short rear of the car make it not look bulky, which is in line with the current young market atmosphere. High-end models will also add electroplated wheels, which is very visually excellent.
What's more, the Japanese craftsmanship is fully displayed in LS, whether it is Wakamitsu cut or Tsuruha folding cloth, which embodies the traditional Japanese culture and carefully crafted production technology, rendering an artistic atmosphere other than luxury. In addition, the configuration is also full coverage, the use of LCD instruments, the display effect is delicate, there will be dynamic effects after ignition, the sense of ceremony is very strong, and the knob mode switching is very special.
In terms of power, it provides a hybrid system with 3.5L+ motors, the performance is very powerful, and the acceleration of 100 kilometers is easy to come to the 5-second club, and it is also more fuel-efficient than competitors at the same price.
It is such an excellent product that has no defects in all aspects, but it is very dismal in terms of sales, what is the reason for this?
Brand appeal
First of all, the first element is undoubtedly the brand, Lexus belongs to the second-tier camp in China, and is far inferior to the traditional BBA in terms of recognition and popularity. After all, buying luxury brands is to face and aura, BBA in the country is equivalent to a unimpeded pass, whether it is going home for the New Year or going out to pick up customers or business partners, the impression of BBA is definitely higher than Lexus.
Overpriced
The lack of brand appeal can extend the price, we all know that most of the products that buy luxury brands are not directed at the cost performance, so consumers can accept a certain brand premium. It is undeniable that Lexus has a certain premium ability, especially in Guangdong, many consumers are willing to increase their price, but it is limited to the price range of 300,000-400,000. If you go beyond that, the results will be miserable. That's why the previous GS was discontinued.
However, let lexus LS reduce prices, using price for volume to increase sales, Toyota seems to be reluctant, after all, this is an authentic luxury D-class car with many years of history, if like some second-tier luxury brands to sell D-class cars as C-class cars, it is a kind of harm to brand height. Moreover, the audience of D-class cars in various countries and regions is relatively small, and it has never been a volume product like Corolla, but on the contrary, it is placed in a million-dollar LS in the showroom, which helps to enhance the high-end image of the entire brand. Toyota, as the world's most profitable car company, selling a few few LSs will not have much impact on the year-end earnings report.
summary
In summary, lexus sales downturn is not a product problem, but because the brand image has not been really established in China, and the premium ability of million-level luxury cars is relatively low, and naturally it is not good to sell in China.