As we hinted back in September 2009, Lexus USA appeared to be a bit conflicted about the fate in the carmaker's largest market of the CT production derivative of its smallest-ever concept car, the
LF-Ch. On one hand, among the sporadic attempts by European prestige carmakers to bring their B and C-class cars to North America, only BMW's MINI can be described as an unqualified success. On the other hand, ever-tightening U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and emissions laws make bringing over the production Lexus CT almost imperative.
Shortly after the LF-Ch Concept's release at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, Lexus put together
a 12-question survey to gain feedback as to how ready the United States (and, by extension, Canada) were for this smallest-ever Lexus to cross the Pacific Ocean. At the carmaker's behest, we stickied
the survey story atop our Front Page to allow for feedback from showgoers at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show (where the LF-Ch made its North American debut).
Lexus USA, via their Prestige Communications Manager Nancy Hubbell, has just informed us of some of the survey results. With a total of 3,335 respondents, there is strong support for the notion of bringing the Lexus CT 200h to the United States. These are the key findings for the survey that have been released:
Which angle of the car do you like best?
Front 3/4 - 1191 replies (36%)
Front - 775 replies (24%)
Side - 566 replies (17%)
Rear 3/4 - 511 replies (16%)
Rear - 217 replies (7%)
Which words best describe the exterior design?
Sporty/Aggressive - 2107 replies (64%)
Unique/Surprising - 463 replies (14%)
Modern/Smart - 412 replies (12%)
Busy/Bulky - 211 replies (6%)
Bland/Dull - 122 replies (4%)
Which aspect of the exterior design do you like most?
Aggressive stance - 1470 replies (45%)
Headlamps - 762 replies (23%)
Front grille - 462 replies (14%)
Taillamps - 395 replies (12%)
Wheel design - 183 replies (6%)
Which aspect of the interior design is your favorite?
Center console and controls - 1044 replies (31%)
Seating/interior - 796 replies (25%)
Driver meters/gauges - 703 replies (22%)
Steering wheel - 422 replies (13%)
Trim material/color combination 282 replies (9%)
Should Lexus build this car?
For sure! - 2965 replies (90%)
No way! - 316 replies (10%)
Yes, you read that right, 9 out of 10 survey takers were in favor of Lexus building this car. Granted, from "Yes, go ahead and build it" to "Yes, I love it so much that I'm going to spend my hard-earned dollars to buy or lease one" is a sizable leap, but it seems that even Lexus was surprised at this level of approval.
Left publicly unanswered are results to the other seven survey questions, with this author particularly intrigued by response to the 5-door hatchback body type, the appeal of the hybrid powertrain, how popular the exterior color was or wasn't and, most of all, the question I indirectly asked in the previous paragraph, "Would you buy this car?"
In keeping with the Lexus LF-Ch's sporty and youthful personality, Nancy Hubbell also sent us a link to what she so accurately describes as sultry photos of their newest concept car, some of which enliven (and then some) this article. To view this seductive (but work-safe, unless your boss just arrived on the Mayflower) work by Giuliano Bekor Photography, click the
photo gallery and
video links.
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