After giving it the axe in America last year, Lexus might be bringing back the CT hybrid hatchback as an all-electric rival to the Tesla Model 3 if a new Auto Express report is to be believed.
Introduced as the CT 200h back in 2011, the outgoing car was available only as a hybrid—essentially a Lex-ified Prius. According to the report, a next-generation CT would come as a hybrid as well but would also be sold alongside an all-electric version, putting it in direct competition with Tesla’s much-hyped, entry-level luxury EV.
“The CT has a high conquest ratio of 70 to 75 per cent. It’s useful at bringing new people to the brand. People buy the CT for efficiency; with the UX, we’re looking for a different customer,” Lexus Europe director Pascal Ruch said, speaking to the British publication. A second-gen CT is expected to share bones with the UX crossover, parent company Toyota’s New Global Architecture C platform which also underpins the C-HR, Prius, and hot new Corolla.
“If the question is ‘Will we replace the CT?’, let’s say so.” said Ruch. “We might have to think about a different approach to the sector. Maybe it’s the time to find something new in the CT’s segment.”
Auto Express says Toyota’s Model 3 rival is scheduled to arrive in 2020. Just like its predecessor and the Tesla it aims to defeat, we expect it to start somewhere in the $30,000 range. We’ve reached out to the company for further comment and will update this story if we hear back.
UPDATE: In an email to The Drive, a Lexus spokesperson says they “haven’t heard of any plans for an electric CT,” so you might want to take today’s news with a sizable grain of salt. The Lexus rep makes sure to add that the company is “excited about the launch of the UX to enter the growing luxury subcompact crossover segment.”