Take one look at the Lexus UX Concept that showed up at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, and you realize it's about the furthest departure from what Lexus built their reputation on, conservatively designed luxury cars aimed at the upper middle class and middle aged. But things have been changing for the brand of late, especially with their RC sports coupe, NX crossover, and their whole new and fairly radical design language.
But even their latest offerings like the high-end LC luxury sports coupe and the totally redesigned LS sedan are aimed at older buyers. Lexus recently announced that they will aim at younger buyers with a production version of the radical UX, and it's probably not as far off as you'd think.
Yoshihiro Sawa, Executive Vice President of Lexus, recently stated to Motoring.com, "We are doing the [UX]. It's not so far away. The impetus behind this decision isn't just because the crossover market is super-hot right now. Apparently, there's a strong need for Lexus to appeal to younger buyers. Only the Lexus IS and CT
The vehicle, itself, is about 9 inches shorter than the already compact NX crossover. The UX presented itself as a design study of sorts, to point to the future direction of Lexus design language, both in terms of the exterior and interior of the car. How much of the radical design actually makes it to production remains in questions. The "Kinetic" seats with their leather ribbons and minimalist framework are unlikely to see the light of day, but we envision that much of the exterior will make it, given the latest production of the LC and LS models.
A production model will likely show up sometime in 2017 with sales taking place for the 2018 model year. However polarizing the UX's design may be, it's good to see Lexus reaching out to new markets and taking even more daring steps in design.
