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Lexus to offer more than just SUVs in global EV push

Despite SUV’s popularity, Lexus’ European boss said the brand is working on alternative body types that would allow for a wider range of vehicles.
2 min read18 May '22
Autocar India News DeskAutocar India News Desk
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Lexus BEV Sports concept
Lexus RZ

Luxury brand Lexus has no plans to become an SUV specialist – despite its first two electric cars being SUVs as well as the success of the Lexus NX – and is considering a vast array of bodystyles for its future EVs.

The brand’s European boss Spiros Fotinos said that while it “can’t ignore the demand for SUVs” globally, Lexus hasn’t written off plans for more traditional, lower-slung cars in its future line-up. He pointed to the large SUV, saloon and supercar EV concept cars that Lexus revealed late in 2021 as a statement of intent.

“We’re clearly working on alternative body types that would allow us to not only offer a wider range of vehicles but also meet the growth ambitions we have for Europe,” our sister publication Autocar UK quoted Fotinos as saying.

Interestingly, Lexus isn’t only planning to use Toyota's e-TNGA platform for its EVs. Fotinos said that it’s “a great starting point”, but that “for a company and a brand that has the ambitions we do – to be 100 percent BEV-ready, offering a BEV in every segment we compete in – technically that would be impossible to do with one platform, so obviously we’re looking at other opportunities as well.”

Lexus in India

Lexus launched the 2022 Lexus NX 350h in India earlier this year, which is available with a single petrol-hybrid powertrain. You can read our review of the new NX here. Naveen Soni, president, Lexus India, in an interview with Autocar India, said as part of the brand’s global plan to go 100 percent electric by 2035, Lexus UX BEV is on the cards for India.

New Tata Harrier XZS prices start from Rs 19.99 lakh

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Tata Harrier front

Tesla shelves India plans as calls for lower import duty rejected: report

Despite being wooed by several Indian states, Tesla did not commit to local manufacturing because it wanted to first test the ground with CBU models.
2 min read17 May '22
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Tesla Model X front

Current Toyota Innova Crysta to be sold alongside next-gen model

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3 min read17 May '22
Autocar India News DeskAutocar India News Desk
Toyota Innova Crysta front
Next-gen Toyota Innova rendering

An all-new Innova is in the works; will come with petrol-hybrid powertrain

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The Santro in its second stint fails to repeat the sales success of the 1998 original.
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Hyundai Santro India.

The Santro name was re-introduced in 2018.

Upcoming Land Rover Defender SVX will take on future AMG G500 4x4

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2 min read17 May '22
Autocar India News DeskAutocar India News Desk
Land Rover Defender India.

Standard Defender shown for reference.