Lexus is aggressively rolling out its European expansion plans, but European buyers will be left out on Lexus’ newest model. Lexus recently unveiled its all-new HS 250h at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but the dedicated hybrid will not be part of the company’s European lineup.
The HS 250h is set to hit the U.S. market in summer 2009, but European won’t even have a shot at the new hybrid. “The HS 250h is intended mainly for North America and Japan, sales are not currently planned for Europe,” Serge Gachot, head of Toyota Motor Europe marketing communications, told Automotive News.
Lexus decided to forgo the European market with the HS 250h because it too closely rivals the company’s IS 220d. The IS 220d is similar in size to the HS and also offers comparable CO2 emissions figures.
However, the move is a bit strange considering Toyota ’s crusade to sell 1 million hybrids annually by early next decade. Moreover, Lexus’s hybrid models are extremely popular in Europe, with some take rates topping 70 percent. Lexus currently sells hybrid versions of the RX, GS and LS in the European market.
