原文連結：
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-02/lexus-midlife-crisis
洛杉磯時報
原文內容：
以下僅簡單翻譯
Lexus confronts a midlife crisis with aging SUVs that are losing to rivals
過時且不如對手的SUV產品線 讓Lexus遭遇"中年"危機
Big red bows and the “December to Remember” tagline of year-end Lexus ads
have become as much a part of the holiday season as lawn ornaments and tacky
sweaters. But the upscale brand had less to celebrate last year in the U.S.,
with sales flat and few new vehicles to showcase.
在美國 因銷售輛持平 以及僅有少數新車款上市
對Lexus這個豪華品牌來說 2019年並不是值得慶祝的一年
Thirty years after its debut shocked established German automakers, demand
for Toyota Motor Corp.’s luxury brand has stalled, with sales on track to
trail BMW AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz. Once the unquestioned leader of
the pack, it hasn’t taken the top slot in the U.S. since 2010. Its market
share of 13% is down from a peak of 18.2% a decade ago, according to
car-shopping researcher Edmunds.
三十年前Lexus品牌的誕生曾讓德國對手震驚 但去年銷售已落後BMW和Benz
曾經是美國豪華三品牌中毫無疑義的領先者
2010年之後卻再也不曾取得領先地位 如今的市佔率已從十年前的18.2%下降至13%
Lexus’s 30th anniversary brake-tap is a reflection of its aging vehicle
lineup, increased competition and an inability to keep pace with American
buyers’ growing demand for larger sport utility vehicles. Two of its SUVs
haven’t undergone a full model change in a decade, and the addition of a
cramped three-row option to its popular RX model in late 2017 hasn’t won
over as many cross-shoppers as hoped.
“Lexus has lost some of its luster,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of
auto testing at Consumer Reports, who points to gains by rivals such as
Hyundai Motors Co.’s Genesis brand. “Genesis is taking that baton. They are
what Lexus used to be: affordable, comfy and stress-free.”
老舊的產品線 愈來愈多的競爭者及無法跟上消費者對於大型SUV的需求
影響了Lexus的銷售量 其中兩款SUV十年來都沒有進行大改款
RX在2017年新增第三排座椅車型 銷售也沒有如預期的好
Jake Fisher表示 如今現代Genesis已經接下了Lexus的棒子
Genesis讓消費者負擔得起 舒適無壓力 就如同過去的Lexus般
Toyota executives and dealers say the pause will be temporary ahead of a
product blitz over the next two years. Noting that Lexus sales are “about
flat” this year, Bob Carter, Toyota’s top sales executive in North America,
told reporters recently that a refreshed version of Lexus’ top-selling RX is
on its way as a prelude to more vehicles headed for U.S. showrooms.
“A lot of new product is coming this way for Lexus down the road,” he said.
Toyota認為這僅是短暫現象 接下來兩年將有多款產品問世
T牌北美銷售主管表示 近期銷售最佳的RX大改款已經進行中
接下來會有更多車款進入展示間
Lexus pioneered the luxury SUV when the RX debuted in 1998, but it hasn’t
kept up with growth in the increasingly crowded segment. The mid-size GX and
larger LX ride on antiquated chassis with dated interiors and infotainment
displays. Both vehicles also have subpar fuel economy and limited cargo room
compared with rival vehicles such as the Audi Q7, BMW X7, Mercedes GLS and
Volvo XC90.
1998年RX上市時引導豪華SUV風潮 但如今卻遭遇許多挑戰
GX及LX仍使用舊的底盤 過時的內裝 老舊的影音設備
高耗油及侷限的車室空間對比Q7 X7 GLS及XC90更是致命傷
“We know 2019 was a year that we missed it,” Paul LaRochelle, general
manager of a Lexus franchise in Annapolis, Md., and chair of the brand’s
dealer council, said in an interview. “We will see Lexus making significant
gains in the market over the next two, three, four, five years and beyond.”
Lexus’ plans include long-awaited updates to existing SUVs and at least one
all-new mid-size SUV, he said. “The best way to put it would be a luxury
seven- or eight-passenger people-mover.”
Lexus的計畫包含等待已久的現有SUV改款 及至少增加一款全新的中型SUV
最好的方式是採七人或八人座車款的設定
Jason Shelton, a 42-year-old general manager at a telecom company, wants to
upgrade his RX to a larger vehicle but says the outdated styling of Lexus
SUVs is a turnoff. “Frankly, we’re hoping it is updated by the time the
lease is up next year so we can get the bigger vehicle. Otherwise we will
probably move to a different company,” the Nashville-area resident said.
在通訊公司服務的42歲總經理Jason Shelton想要把RX換成一輛更大的車款
但Lexus過時的車款讓他無法接受
他說 希望明年之前能夠有新的大型車款 否則他只好選擇他牌了
By some measures, Lexus remains the brand to beat. Three of its vehicles rank
among the top 10 most reliable models in an annual Consumer Reports survey
(the Toyota brand has three more), and J.D. Power named it the top brand for
resale value. Lexus sold its 10 millionth vehicle last year, a testament to
its success over other Japanese luxury brands like Nissan Motor Co.’s
Infiniti and Honda Motor Co.’s Acura, whose cumulative worldwide sales total
2.6 million and 5.4 million, respectively.
從某些衡量指標來看 Lexus仍是難以擊倒的品牌
在年度消費者報告調查中 三款車型仍名列前十名中
JD POWER也將之列為中古車價值第一名的品牌
去年Lexus賣出了品牌的第一千萬輛車 對比其他兩個日本豪華品牌
Infiniti(累積260萬輛) Acura(累積540萬輛) 這無疑是個成就
Once mostly geared for the U.S., Lexus has increasingly become a global brand
with rapid growth in China and Europe, where small crossovers dominate sales.
Its most recent vehicle premieres took place in those two markets, including
the UX compact crossover in 2018 in Geneva and an electric-powered variant —
the brand’s first EV — in Guangzhou in November. That has raised questions
among some dealers and brand watchers about whether the U.S. now takes a back
seat to other markets when it comes to investment priorities and vehicle
development.
以往以北美為銷售主力的LEXUS如今已逐步成長為全球性品牌
在中國及歐洲的成長尤其迅速 在這兩地小型跨界車款占了銷售的多數
近期上市的新車款 包括2018年的UX選擇在日內瓦發表
以及去年11月在廣州發表的第一台EV車款
這引起了經銷商及觀望者的疑慮
質疑是否美國市場在投資優先順序及車款開發上已退居二線
“It’s definitely been a slow time for the brand, and that’s what happens
when you don’t have product to talk about,” said Kevin Watts, editor of the
influential fan blog Lexus Enthusiast.
當暫時沒有可供討論的產品時 無疑的Lexus現在是處於青黃不接的階段
Lexus officials say the U.S. market has not been forgotten by executives in
Toyota City. “Behind the curtain right now, what’s going on is that
everything — all the attention — in Japan is to get Lexus back in the game
with a tremendous lineup over the next few years,” said LaRochelle of the
dealers’ council.
Those assurances from top Toyota officials came during an October meeting in
Washington, where dealers said the vehicle highest on their wish list is an
18-foot SUV akin to General Motors Co.’s GMC Yukon Denali XL. “That is one
of our primary asks and one that they’re looking at,” LaRochelle said.
Lexus主管表示美國市場並沒有並遺忘
Lexus將在未來數年以大量的產品線重回競爭行列
未來經銷商最希望看到的是能有一款類似GM GMC Yukon Denali XL的18英尺長車款
而這也將是高層的優先考量
心得/說明：(30字以上)
去年儘管Lexus在中國連續第三年以超過20%的成長率 首度突破銷售20萬輛
台灣去年也再創新高 達兩萬兩千多輛
但在美國銷售卻下滑0.1% 以298310的銷售量位居第三(BMW第一 Benz第二)
看到上面有中文的報導 就看了一下美國的報導跟大家分享