Lexus is going to enter the luxury minivan segment and it will be based on Toyota Alphard to take on vans from Mercedes Benz
Lexus is the luxury wing of Toyota and the company is looking to enter new segments to improve sales. The luxury MPV segment is not popular in most of the countries except for some Asian countries and Toyota Alphard is one of the most popular models in this segment.
According to a new report, Lexus is planning to enter the luxury MPV segment and it was confirmed by the president of Lexus Manila as he said that it was only a matter of time before Lexus launches a luxury minivan. He confirmed that the upcoming model will be based on Toyota Alphard.
The recent update for Alphard has helped Toyota to increase sales and the waiting period is high. The Lexus version of Alphard will come with a slightly different design and the interior will be completely different along with lots of luxury features, which will lure buyers.
The luxury MPV comes with features like touch screen infotainment on the centre console, dual zone climate control, leather seats, cruise control, automatic headlamps and more. The company will also offer rear seat entertainment package and individual seats to make it more comfortable for the passengers.
Lexus will position the minivan as a direct competitor to Mercedes Benz vans, which is popular among fleet buyers. Toyota Alphard is powered by two engine options – 2.5 L petrol hybrid engine from Camry and the 2GR-FKS 3.5 L V6 petrol engine producing 301 PS of power and 361 Nm of torque.
The company will only offer automatic transmission option with Minivan. Lexus will also give lots of safety features like airbags, ABS, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control System (TCS). We can expect the Lexus luxury minivan based on Alphard to be launched next year.