Lexus to drop HS

Poor thing only sold 2,200 here so far this year. Even CT is about 4x as much sales. Hey, I saw a CT on Sunday. Only the 2nd or 3rd I've seen though.

 

When the HS first came out, I remember seeing several at first (early adopters), but I thought the lack of HS population increase was due to production shut down due to the Japan earthquake. Is the HS piling up on the dealer lots?

 

I never cared much for the HS. It was really ugly (IMO).

 

It was really ugly. The wheel gap was horrendous, and it looked way too much like a Corolla. Lexus did a great job with the CT200h, not so much with the HS.

 

...and the seats and ride are better, and the 2012 now has better mileage and better electronic toys.

 

It seems more likely that they will restyle the HS instead of discontinuing it. They need a hybrid to fit into that market segment. Otherwise there will be no sedan option from Lexus hybrids. To discontinue the HS, and then come out with another hybrid sedan would cost a lot more than just restyling the HS.

..unless they put the Camry HSD into the Lexus ES.
.

 

The LS600h does not fit into the budget of a family that is looking for an HS price range family sedan. The GS450h costs a bit more, too.

ESh would be nice.

.

 

Price is not a factor when shopping at a Lexus dealership. When you walk in they ask what you want. Not "how much do you want to pay a month" or something like that.

If you want a Lexus branded hybrid sedan, you have options. And that is all you need.

 

Lexus kills off slow-selling HS 250h

I wonder if the JDM Lexus HS 250h and Toyota Sai are also dead in Japan...

 

With the ES300h on the horizon, this is a smart move. It is a bigger vehicle with a newer, better drivetrain, and it will sell for about the same money. The styling of the HS aping a Corolla didn't do it any favors, either.

I mean, really, this:



or this:

 

I honestly couldn't tell them apart at first.
Maybe with some cues to determine size.

 

Notice where the windscreen meets the bonnet. The ES carries proportions that of a RWD car while the HS is painfully cab forward FWD looking. The ES sits tight to the road while the HS sits high like a more common car. Basically, one looks like a luxury car and the other doesn't. Couldn't find a side by side photo.