Toyota to launch Lexus in India in 2017, hybrids could lead
With
almost all luxury carmakers present in India, the absence of Lexus has been a
talking point for a while now. With numerous rumours over the years, nothing
turned into reality but all of that is set to change as Toyota has reportedly
decided to launch its luxury brand Lexus in India, sometime in early 2017.
Along with a reported entry of Lexus in India, we also have an official
statement from Toyota Kirloskar Motor, which doesn't accept but doesn't deny
the arrival of Lexus either. A company sp
okesperson said, "It is true that
we are studying introducing Lexus to India. However, we would like to refrain
from commenting on details such as timing, models etc., as it relates to future
product plan."
It's not the first time that
Toyota has made a decision to launch Lexus in India. Back in 2013, there was
news of Lexus coming to India as an imports operation but an unfavourable
import duty rate of 100%, meant that car imported by Lexus wouldn't be
price-competitive since its German rivals already had assembly operations here.
Fast forward to today and the
import duty hasn't been cut but hybrid/electric vehicles attract significantly
lesser import duties. Lexus is looking to take advantage of this relaxation
through a strong portfolio of hybrid vehicles. In addition, the recently
announced FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric
Vehicles) will incentivise hybrid vehicles up a maximum of Rs 1.38 lakh,
bringing down the selling-price further. As a result of these policies, Lexus
should be able to price its vehicles close to its German rivals, while being
able to claim higher fuel-efficiency and lower emissions. In addition, these
hybrid vehicles from Lexus would also be exempt from the NGT's (National Green
Tribunal) ongoing crackdown on diesel vehicles, especially those equipped with
an engine larger than 2,000 cc.
Autocar India has claimed in
its report that Lexus will first launch its LX 570 SUV, which is based on the
Land Cruiser SUV. This would be followed by a lineup of
- hybrid models including
http://www.duangwatch.net/s and sedans. The performance of Lexus should be interesting to watch unfold
as it would also indicate how well luxury-segment customers are willing to
accept hybrids and a shift of engineering focus from performance and comfort to
efficiency.www.sitewatches.com