Gasgoo.com (Shanghai July 2) - The size of the Chinese automobile market has already encouraged several foreign manufacturers to manufacture their vehicles locally, with many more having announced domestic production plans to come into effect in the near future. Lexus, however, remains an outlier. In a statement appearing in a recent Beijing Business Today report, Mark Templin, managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation and executive vice president of Lexus International, said that Lexus still required to further observe the Chinese market before considering domestic production plans.
According to Mr. Templin (pictured), Lexus has not yet begun discussing possible plans to manufacture its vehicles in China. Prior to having those discussions, Lexus still needs to complete several tasks, he commented, including the establishment of its own independent sales channel.
Lexus currently possesses just over 100 4S dealerships in China, far less than direct rivals Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Whether or not the manufacturer still has time to catch up to its German rivals is something that remains to be seen.
