Toyota said its redesigned Lexus ES350 sedan will buoy sales of the brand which was no long the top selling luxury nameplate there last year.
The new line, including a hybrid 300h version, goes on sale in mid-August. Lexus expects sales of both models will reach about 5,000 a month and, Tim Morrison, vice president for sales and dealer development in the US said, the brand is aiming to sell 250,000 vehicles in the country this year, up 25% year on year. The ES350 is its top selling car though the RX SUV is top model overall.
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Lexus was top of the luxury pile in the US for 11 years but lost out partly due to vehicle shortages after the Japanese earthquake last year but also because of declining popularity.
The brand now hopes to lure younger buyers with a sportier design.
Morrison said: “We needed new product and we’re getting it now.”
Lexus was knocked from its number one spot last year by BMW and was also overtaken by Mercedes-Benz.
In the first five months of 2012, Lexus sales rose 14% to just over 88,000 although it still trails the German carmakers.
