Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota Motor Corporation, eyes introducing a second top-of-the-line ‘flagship’ model to coexist with the LS sedan breed in the US.
Taking a note of the popularity of luxury sport utility vehicles such as Land Rover by Tata Motors and Cadillac Escalade from General Motors, Lexus division general manager Jeff Bracken told Reuters: "We need a flagship. It doesn't have to be a sedan."
"In addition to the LS (a large sedan), there could be another flagship in our lineup... We'll define what it is in January."
Lexus also aims to boost its SUV lineup by creating a version of the midsize RX SUV with a third row seat.
"We don't want to wait for a next generation" to add the extra seating row, Bracken told the news agency.
An RX with space for seven or eight occupants tops the list of demands from the US dealers. A new RX is in the offing but it will not have a third row seat.
The sales in the US have been reportedly propped up by a continued reduction in gasoline prices, with luxury SUV sales rising than that of large luxury sedans.
The increase in the sales figure has made luxury brands come up with SUV models to keep up with the competition.
