Gasgoo.com (Shanghai November 29) - At a press conference held at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition, Lexus China Executive Vice President Shoju Nozaki repeated that there are currently no [;ams to begin production of its models in China, the Beijing Times reported today. However, Mr. Nozaki added that Lexus is considering what measures to take to improve its brand image in the country, including expanding its localization team and further individualizing the brand.
In order to ensure its independence in policy making, Lexus China possesses independent human relations and finance departments. Furthermore, management teams for its product development, market research, sales logistics, sales support, import services and dealership network development are independent from Toyota China.
Lexus China has been to ensure the individuality of the Lexus brand from that of Toyota. The branch conducts market research projects and product development work directly with Lexus' Japanese headquarters. However, Lexus China is still a subsidiary of Toyota's regional branch, meaning its policies cannot be entirely separate from that of its parent company.
Mr. Nozaki also emphasized the independence of Lexus China from its other branches worldwide. According to his explanation, aside from a few Japanese and US employees, the majority of high level staff has been appointed by the Chinese branch. The decision to appoint Lang Lixin as vice president was also Chinese-made.
Mr. Nozaki also made sure to emphasize the importance of the Chinese market to Lexus. "Having fully taken into account the viewpoints of Chinese staff and specific market demands, [Lexus] will bring over more models aimed specifically at Chinese [buyers]."
