Submitted by: Submitted by muhammedsanooj
Views: 379
Words: 1297
Pages: 6
Category: World History
Date Submitted: 12/13/2011 08:52 AM
A network of 143 plush new dealerships, gleaming with marble floors and Italian sofas, is ready for business. An army of 2,000 salesmen, mechanics and managers has completed training on how to pamper demanding clients.
Three car models have been redesigned with roomier interiors, brawnier motors and advanced sound and navigation systems. All the preparations were aimed at Tuesday, when Toyota Motor introduced its Lexus brand to a new market: Japan.
It will not need to bring the cars, though - they are already here.
All the models sold in the United States under the Lexus logo have been available in Japan under blander Toyota names. The Toyota versions came with simpler interiors and options and, in some cases, lower prices.
Before it was taken off the market in Japan in December in anticipation of the Lexus introduction, the Lexus GS series of sedans was sold here as the Toyota Aristo. The Lexus IS sedans, which are priced at more than $30,000 - sometimes well above that - in the United States, were sold in Japan as the Toyota Altezza, with a list price around $25,000. The SC430, a two-seat sports car, was called the Toyota Soarer.
Success here will hinge on whether Toyota can create an identity for Lexus and give it the sort of luxury cachet for which consumers are willing to pay a premium. To do this, Toyota must convince Japanese drivers that the cars are more than just Toyotas with new name plates and fatter price tags.
Why it took the company so long to bring Lexus to Japan, a feverishly brand-conscious nation, is a bit of a puzzle. One answer may be that Toyota, the world's most profitable carmaker, has never had trouble selling its cars in this country as Toyotas. Company officials also say the Japanese car market is just now reaching the point where it can sustain a large luxury segment.
It was also my understanding that Toyota and the other Japanese companies ran several "sales channels" or "dealership networks" that did not quite equate to...