Infiniti, Lexus not interested in taking on BMW’s 5-Series Gran Turismo

Not a fan of the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo or the Acura ZDX? Well, neither are Lexus orInfiniti. The two Japanese brands aren’t ready or looking to venture into big luxury midsize hatchbacks since American buyers famously don’t favor hatchbacks, even in the lower market segments.

Ben Poore, Nissan North America’s vice president of the Infiniti business unit, told AutoObserver that Infiniti isn’t going to take a shot at the new segment anytime soon. Poore said that Infiniti’s research and clinics aren’t showing any evidence of demand for premium hatchbacks.

“What they’re seeing is a much stronger preference (among consumers) for a trunk,” Poore told AutoObserver.

“It’s a very different styling,” he said. “I’d rather be on (either) the crossover styling or the trunk styling.”

As for Lexus, despite introducing the new CT 200h compact hybrid hatchback, the brand has no plans of taking on BMW’s 5-Series Gran Turismo, according to Dave Nordstrom, Lexus vice president of marketing.

“We have not seen the demand from our customers – but we continue to look at it,” says Nordstrom.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: AutoObserver