Lexus mulling high-performance Lexus CT

With Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW all having some sort of performance variants in their A-Class, A3 and 1 Series, respectively, Lexus is mulling the introduction of a more powerful Lexus CT.

The company’s International Executive Vice President, Mark Templin, told Motoring that if Lexus had a more powerful variant for the CT 200h, the models sales could be increased. The CT is currently only available as a 100kW/142Nm petrol-electric hybrid and takes more than 10 seconds to reach 100km/h.

“I think the CT got a reputation for its handling, steering and suspension system. If we had a second powertrain in that car, I think sure we would have done a lot more volume,” Templin told Motoring.

“You had the people who loved the CT’s hybrid powertrain, the markets that need that kind of powertrain, and the people who are eco friendly or want to save that money on gas and that’s great,” he continued.

“But we missed a segment of market for people who want fast cars; because a lot of people liked the looks and liked the way it drove, so they wanted something faster. So yeah, sure in the future, I hope we can account for that.”

Lexus Australia has sold 702 units of the Lexus CT year-to-date, making it the third most popular model behind the IS and RX.

The CT is due for a facelift next year, with an all-new model scheduled for 2016.