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Lexus says it's not worried about LS sales decline in face of S-Class, Model S

The Lexus LS is old. Sure, it received a refresh for model year 2013, but it hasn't had a clean-sheet redesign since George W. Bush was in office. It's the oldest vehicle in its segment, debuting in 2007, a full year before the current-gen BMW 7 Series, two years before the Hyundai Equus and Jaguar XJ and three years before the Audi A8.
This is particularly troubling as buyers flock to the heavily redesigned Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which debuted late last year, and the all-electric Tesla Model S. Despite this move, though, Lexus is (worryingly in our minds) not at all concerned.
"We don't feel it's a problem with the car," Brian Smith, VP of marketing for Lexus, told Wards Auto. "Many of the buyers in that segment want what's new and they're trying it."

2019 Lexus UX now the most affordable Lexus

The 2019 Lexus UX subcompact crossover now has official pricing, and it makes it the most affordable Lexus model available. The standard, non-hybrid Lexus UX 200 starts at $33,025, and the hybrid Lexus UX 250h starts at $35,025. This means the base UX is roughly $4,000 cheaper than the next most affordable Lexus, the compact NX 300 crossover. Not only that, but the UX 200 undercuts some of the little crossover's main rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 and BMW X1. The former starts at $34,945, and the latter starts at $34,895. With the basic Lexus UX 200, you get a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that's also found in the new Toyota Corolla hatchback. It makes 169 horsepower, 151 pound-feet of torque, and it goes solely to the front wheels via the same kind of CVT as the Corolla, complete with 10 selectable ratios and a special short-ratio gear for takeoff. If you want all-wheel-drive, you'll have to opt for the UX 250h hybrid. That model features 175 horsepower and a rear electric motor to provide power to the back wheels. Notably, both of these UX models are significantly down in power and torque compared with the aforementioned German rivals. The Mercedes GLA 250 makes 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and the BMW X1 makes 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Regardless of whether you pick the basic UX 200 or the UX 250h, you'll get at least a six-speaker sound system with a 7-inch infotainment screen. It also comes with Apple CarPlay, though Android Auto is not available. The UX models can be optioned with larger infotainment displays all the way up to a 10.25-inch example. All models also come standard with adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and forward collision prevention with pedestrian detection. The UX 200 will be the first on sale starting this December, and the UX 250h hybrid will become available the following month. Related Video:

Lexus spotted testing LF-LC coupe for production

Lexus has been preparing a production version of the LF-LC concept for some time now. The coupe would fill at least part of the void left by the culmination of the LFA's production run, albeit at a much lower market position. And judging by these latest spy shots, it looks like it's finally getting down to it. Spotted undergoing testing in Germany around the neighborhood of the Nurburgring, this camouflaged prototype provides us with our first glimpse at what the production LC will look like. It's still hard to tell with all those swirls encircling its bodywork, but the production version looks poised to adopt a form derived from the concept first seen at the Detroit Auto Show way back in 2012. Just don't expect the details to be quite as extreme as those on the show car. It may also be too early to determine what's under the hood, but the signs point towards implementation of the 5.0-liter V8 from the RC-F. A twin-turbo version of the same engine in the form of an LC-F could follow with even more power, while a hybrid V6 is also said to be in the cards. If you're having trouble imaging what it would go up against in the marketplace, though, our spy photographers on the ground inform us that Lexus has been benchmarking this prototype against a BMW 6 Series, Porsche 911, and Maserati GranTurismo. That'd put it in good company, and we're looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Related Video: