About Time: Lexus Planning to Go for Younger Buyers

The Lexus brand has been experiencing some problems that extend beyond just the current, difficult climate. Sales are down are more than the industry average and BMW is set to overtake Lexus as the top-selling luxury brand in the United States, a title it has held since 2000.

For Lexus' sake though, the good thing is that they are starting to realize some of their problems. If they want really to grow (not just have the inevitable rise in sales once the economy recovers) and expand into new demographics they will have to do some things differently.

The news about this realization came in an interview with a few Lexus executives conducted by Automotive News. The executives said that the brand has become too reliant on one model line, the RX Crossover, and that it needs to do more to capture younger buyers that will be key to a successful future.

Attempting to rectify this, the brand is going to be doimg a number of things, including pushing the IS Sedan much more - a smart move as I've said before, in my opinion it's the only bright spot of the lineup. The IS Convertible is part of this new strategy, as well as the new advertising campaign that is launching it.

"Taste of Lexus" events around the country are being ditched. Lexus also plans to add more entry-level and performance models into the mix (IS F Sport is a start), a la HS 250h. Not sure how that's going to work out for them, but at least Lexus realizes it needs to do something different if it wants to be relevant in the years ahead.