Quote:
Originally Posted by Plaz
They're probably just writing off the segment and throwing shit they already have in the microwave to warm it over and milk what's left of the market as cheaply and efficiently as possible.  |
Yea, I think there is a degree of this. If you look at BMW sales as an example, 3 series buyers have flocked to X1/X3 to huge degree and same trend with 5er -> X5 (myself included). I don’t know the specifics for Audi and Benz but assuming the same holds. At this point Lexus is unlikely to change their position in this class even with big investment (if they haven’t beat out 3er, C or A4 after two decades, why would they assume they could now?) and the segment is shrinking, but still enough volume where they wouldn’t walk away completely - so invest just enough to freshen your product and accept a #4 spot.
That being said, Toyota does have a track record of keeping some models on the market for way too long with only minor updates along the way. So hard to say how much this is an assessment of this specific class vs. broader tactic.