Lexus gets new focus

Battered by recalls and public inquisitions, Toyota is hoping to restore its once-pristine image with new hybrid products and a renewed focus on Lexus.

Lexus increasingly will be positioned as a “global premium brand,” the company said on Wednesday, and see improved styling, more hybrids and better service. The brand's sales have fallen 9 percent this year, to 26,674 in the United States.

Execs say they hope the CT 200h, a premium hybrid priced at $29,995 that launches this month, will help prop up sales and attract new customers. The RX SUV remains Lexus's top-selling vehicle, with sales of 6,567 this year, a 13 percent increase.

Enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting the $375,000 LFA supercar, which packs 552 hp and will be sold in ultralow volumes--just 500 around the world. Five were delivered in February, and nine have been delivered in the United States this year. A driver-development program is being held at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., this week to educate buyers on harnessing the capabilities of the performance car.

Meanwhile, Toyota's bread-and-butter Camry sedan will see development increasingly focused in North America for that market and exports. Toyota also expects to add 10 more hybrids, including an expanded Prius family revealed in January at the Detroit auto show, by 2015.

By Greg Migliore