Lexus Aims For 25,000 HS250h Sales

After seeing it in better pictures, I've lost some of my ambivalence towards the HS 250h. To me though, I think Lexus is making a big mistake; it seems like Cadillac's ill-fated Cimmaron part deux. The HS 250h is based on the Toyota Corolla and it's not like it looks completely different either, it still shares the same proportions and shape. In other words, it's quite noticeably based on the Corolla. 

Are premium buyers really going to go for that? We'll see. I suspect the other luxury manufacturers will be watching closely to see how it does in the marketplace. Lexus seems pretty lost as a brand right now though; it needs to find an identity or it will continue to lose it's way with buyers.

Lexus today released expected sales numbers for the HS 250h, which it pegs at 25,000 units per year. Lexus might just be trying to play a low-expectations game here, but that seems very low for what probably will be an aggressively priced entry.

So they're degrading their brand image for only 2083 in extra, most likely low-profit, sales per month? Doesn't sound like a winning plan to me. One funny thing I find is that everyone is comparing the HS 250h to the Prius. The HS 250h is from a luxury brand, and will be priced higher then the Prius. Who would ever expect it to sell 180,000 units?