原文连结：
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-02/lexus-midlife-crisis
洛杉矶时报
原文内容：
以下仅简单翻译
Lexus confronts a midlife crisis with aging SUVs that are losing to rivals
过时且不如对手的SUV产品线 让Lexus遭遇"中年"危机
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.
在美国 因销售辆持平 以及仅有少数新车款上市
对Lexus这个豪华品牌来说 2019年并不是值得庆祝的一年
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品牌的诞生曾让德国对手震惊 但去年销售已落后BMW和Benz
曾经是美国豪华三品牌中毫无疑义的领先者
2010年之后却再也不曾取得领先地位 如今的市占率已从十年前的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.”
老旧的产品线 愈来愈多的竞争者及无法跟上消费者对于大型SUV的需求
影响了Lexus的销售量 其中两款SUV十年来都没有进行大改款
RX在2017年新增第三排座椅车型 销售也没有如预期的好
Jake Fisher表示 如今现代Genesis已经接下了Lexus的棒子
Genesis让消费者负担得起 舒适无压力 就如同过去的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认为这仅是短暂现象 接下来两年将有多款产品问世
T牌北美销售主管表示 近期销售最佳的RX大改款已经进行中
接下来会有更多车款进入展示间
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上市时引导豪华SUV风潮 但如今却遭遇许多挑战
GX及LX仍使用旧的底盘 过时的内装 老旧的影音设备
高耗油及侷限的车室空间对比Q7 X7 GLS及XC90更是致命伤
“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的计画包含等待已久的现有SUV改款 及至少增加一款全新的中型SUV
最好的方式是采七人或八人座车款的设定
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.
在通讯公司服务的42岁总经理Jason Shelton想要把RX换成一辆更大的车款
但Lexus过时的车款让他无法接受
他说 希望明年之前能够有新的大型车款 否则他只好选择他牌了
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.
从某些衡量指标来看 Lexus仍是难以击倒的品牌
在年度消费者报告调查中 三款车型仍名列前十名中
JD POWER也将之列为中古车价值第一名的品牌
去年Lexus卖出了品牌的第一千万辆车 对比其他两个日本豪华品牌
Infiniti(累积260万辆) Acura(累积540万辆) 这无疑是个成就
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.
以往以北美为销售主力的LEXUS如今已逐步成长为全球性品牌
在中国及欧洲的成长尤其迅速 在这两地小型跨界车款占了销售的多数
近期上市的新车款 包括2018年的UX选择在日内瓦发表
以及去年11月在广州发表的第一台EV车款
这引起了经销商及观望者的疑虑
质疑是否美国市场在投资优先级及车款开发上已退居二线
“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.
当暂时没有可供讨论的产品时 无疑的Lexus现在是处于青黄不接的阶段
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主管表示美国市场并没有并遗忘
Lexus将在未来数年以大量的产品线重回竞争行列
未来经销商最希望看到的是能有一款类似GM GMC Yukon Denali XL的18英尺长车款
而这也将是高层的优先考量
心得/说明：(30字以上)
去年尽管Lexus在中国连续第三年以超过20%的成长率 首度突破销售20万辆
台湾去年也再创新高 达两万两千多辆
但在美国销售却下滑0.1% 以298310的销售量位居第三(BMW第一 Benz第二)
看到上面有中文的报导 就看了一下美国的报导跟大家分享