Lexus Previews LF-Ch Compact Concept - World Premiere in Frankfurt

 Lexus Previews LF-Ch Compact Concept - World Premiere in Frankfurt
Lexus LF-Ch Compact Concept - 800

Lexus is planning to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz with a premium compact sedan offering.  In the media build-up, Lexus initially released a design skecth teaser followed by a partial rear quarter view.  Now a new image revealing the entire front end of the LF-Ch compact concept has surfaced.

The deflated brand with its aging customer base is desperate to win the hearts of a livelier market segment, and it plans to do so with exciting enthusiast targeted products.  Unlike the Lexus IS range and more specifically the high-performance IS-F sports sedan, Lexus would need to price it within the realm of this youthful, yet environmentally conscious market.

Emphasizing Toyota's full hybrid or Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) technology, the LF-Ch is a 5-door premium compact with electric-only driving capability. 

Parent company Toyota is keen to promote this technology already seen in other Frankfurt debuts such as the Toyota Prius Plug-In Concept and Toyota Auris HSD Concept.

The LF-Ch concept will be joined on the Lexus stand with the updated LS model range and revised versions of GS, IS and IS F.

Stay tuned as further detail will be released closer to their world premiere on September 15th.

[UPDATE 07.09.2009] Photo of front view added to article.

Source: Lexus via autoblog.it

WORLD PREMIERE OF LEXUS LF-Ch AT THE 2009 FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW

  • World premiere of LF-Ch, the new full hybrid premium compact concept
  • World premiere of the updated LS model range
  • Model year updates for GS, IS and IS F

Lexus will unveil the LF-Ch full hybrid premium compact concept at the forthcoming 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is joined on the Lexus stand by the world debut of the updated LS model range and revised versions of GS, IS and IS F.

Lexus LF-Ch

  • Premium compact concept with Lexus Hybrid Drive
  • Practical 5-door body, meeting the core needs of customers in the premium compact market

Reinforcing Lexus' position as the only manufacturer to offer a range of hybrid vehicles, the LF-Ch concept will make its world premiere the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

LF-Ch combines stylish design and full hybrid technology in a practical 5-door compact package to fulfil the needs of the most demanding premium compact segment customers.

Benefiting from an electric-only driving capability, a key feature of Lexus Hybrid Drive, LF-Ch will allow for virtually silent urban driving with zero emissions.

Detailed information and images of the Lexus LF-Ch will be released on 10 September 2009.

Lexus LS

  • Revised exterior and interior designs
  • Updated equipment and redesigned seating
  • Enhanced driving dynamics

Also making its world premiere at the show is the comprehensively revised LS model range, incorporating updates to the exterior and interior designs, a redesigned seating configuration, significantly updated equipment and enhanced driving dynamics.

The world's only full hybrid vehicle in the premium luxury sedan segment, the Lexus LS 600h will be instantly identified as the high performance flagship of the LS model range through bespoke exterior and interior styling cues, improved packaging, and numerous enhancements to the vehicle's Lexus Hybrid Drive system.

Lexus GS

  • Revised exterior design, bringing further emphasis to full hybrid GS 450h
  • Enhanced safety features
  • New audio and navigation systems and revised colour range

The 2010 GS model range features enhanced safety features, new exterior and interior colours while the GS 450h's status as the model range flagship has now been further reinforced through several bespoke styling cues. GS450h remains the world's only full hybrid model in the premium mid-size segment. The 2010 GS range also benefits from upgraded audio and navigation systems.

IS and IS F

  • F-Sport package available on IS sedan
  • IS F now available with Limited Slip Differential
  • New audio and navigation systems

A refreshed IS model range incorporates navigation and audio system upgrades, a new F Sport trim package and a revised IS F ultra-high performance sports sedan now available with a Limited Slip Differential.

 

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 Hagai Hagai
Looks good
September 1, 2009 2:06 pm
 N20_Purge N20_Purge
Nice design and shape. The 1 series better watch out.
September 1, 2009 2:26 pm
 BemWee BemWee
It´s only a matter of time when shitchy is coming on here:) The car itself looks too much Auris, IMHO.
September 1, 2009 2:27 pm
 Renegade Renegade
Looks awesome, I wanna see more.
September 1, 2009 2:33 pm
 awhk awhk
Concept for old man. lol.
September 1, 2009 2:38 pm
 sub39h sub39h
won't touch the A3 in sales, and the hybrid drivetrain means Lexus are likely to price it's "youthful" target audience out of being able to actually afford it. toyota seem to know what they're doing but sometimes i don't think they think their model lines all the way through...
September 1, 2009 2:53 pm
 CndSalesPro CndSalesPro
$2000 isn't alot more to buy a Toyota Hybrid over a Toyota Non Hybrid?
September 2, 2009 4:57 pm
 Narco Narco
$2000 isn't much for most people Cnd, however subby is currently unemployed so he is priced out of the market for most all "youth-oriented" autos. This explains why he is so grumpy all the time. Fishes, Narco.
September 7, 2009 6:33 pm
 CndSalesPro CndSalesPro
VERY well put Narco....
September 9, 2009 8:09 pm
 termigni termigni
very nice!
September 1, 2009 3:08 pm
 oumar06 oumar06
its jst a lexus version of the volvo c30. looks gud tho
September 1, 2009 4:54 pm
 scratchy996 scratchy996
a hatch for the elderly. it's a good thing someone thinks about them enough to make them a compact car. even better if it's a quite hybrid. old people will be able to finally hear the radio while driving.
September 1, 2009 4:55 pm
 iseenitall iseenitall
Will making it Rear-Wheel drive make it even better? The design to me is plain Toyota with Lexus badging...But to really compete with B.M.W 1series it needs to be R.W.D
September 1, 2009 5:40 pm
 miika miika
For me the design is much more exciting than any Toyota seen in Finland :)
September 1, 2009 8:26 pm
 adz612 adz612
I dunno if it's just me but the back end looks pretty damn similar to the Vauxhall Astra Sporthatch
September 1, 2009 6:10 pm
 Get_real Get_real
it's just you
September 7, 2009 6:15 pm
 lexus29 lexus29
Great car !!! Car from the future ! Great job Lexus !! Waiting to see more especially the front and interior !
September 1, 2009 8:07 pm
 Captain Scarlett Captain Scarlett
Tease, tease, tease... that's all it is!
September 1, 2009 10:19 pm
 carbonsigma carbonsigma
Is this front or rear wheel drive?
September 1, 2009 11:32 pm
 car-o-bar car-o-bar
crap... Toyota Matrix on steroids.
September 1, 2009 11:42 pm
 ttcar ttcar
All wheel drive please!
September 2, 2009 7:23 am
 asifmax asifmax
this looks better than Audi's A3 and BMW's 1 series. both of them are beyond bland especially the Audi. this is going to be great and much needed addition to the range.
September 2, 2009 9:10 am
 vilivo vilivo
Eek, that is a horrid color on that Auris.Reliable car though...
September 3, 2009 9:19 pm
 BMW LEWIS BMW LEWIS
Lexus deserve to be up there with bmw and others
September 4, 2009 6:25 pm
 wjaprep wjaprep
im srry... but this car looks too... Japanese (sp?)
September 6, 2009 5:16 pm
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