Toyota Mark X Marks The Spot

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Since it’s shaping up to be Luxury Sedan Day here at TTAC (actually, it’s water-heater explosion day here at TTAC West, but that’s another, less-interesting story) we thought we’d show you Toyota’s Mark X [via Autocar], a sedan it figures could be a budget competitor to the BMW 5 series. But rather than getting hung up on what Toyota wants this car to be, let’s take a look at what it actually is: a Toyotaized version of the GS-series Lexus. This is the same strategy Toyota has taken with its HS250h, offering a JDM-only Toyota version of a Lexus product, although the Mark X’s differences go beyond a cheaper interior. Detuned versions of the 2.5 and 3.5 liter V6s found in the IS-series are offered as engine choices, in hopes of not intruding too much on the GS’s territory. And though none of this is likely to impact the US market, it’s worth noting that this is a questionable strategy at best. Lexus has succeeded in this country because of Toyota’s diligence in differentiating them from pedestrian T-branded offerings. If Toyota ever gets the brilliant idea of offering quick-and-dirty, down-economy rebadges of Lexus vehicles, it will find itself in a GM-sized branding nightmare before it can say “Buick.” And don’t think for a second that nobody at Toyota is thinking of making this the next Toyota Avalon. Just say no!


Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Willbodine Willbodine on Oct 20, 2009

    Cressida Mk II?

  • Accs Accs on Oct 27, 2009

    Id just like to know.. What happened to the distinctive GS with the set of tail lamps that peek through the sheetmetal? This.. is boring as hell.

  • Lichtronamo Watch as the non-us based automakers shift more production to Mexico in the future.
  • 28-Cars-Later " Electrek recently dug around in Tesla’s online parts catalog and found that the windshield costs a whopping $1,900 to replace.To be fair, that’s around what a Mercedes S-Class or Rivian windshield costs, but the Tesla’s glass is unique because of its shape. It’s also worth noting that most insurance plans have glass replacement options that can make the repair a low- or zero-cost issue. "Now I understand why my insurance is so high despite no claims for years and about 7,500 annual miles between three cars.
  • AMcA My theory is that that when the Big 3 gave away the store to the UAW in the last contract, there was a side deal in which the UAW promised to go after the non-organized transplant plants. Even the UAW understands that if the wage differential gets too high it's gonna kill the golden goose.
  • MKizzy Why else does range matter? Because in the EV advocate's dream scenario of a post-ICE future, the average multi-car household will find itself with more EVs in their garages and driveways than places to plug them in or the capacity to charge then all at once without significant electrical upgrades. Unless each vehicle has enough range to allow for multiple days without plugging in, fighting over charging access in multi-EV households will be right up there with finances for causes of domestic strife.
  • 28-Cars-Later WSJ blurb in Think or Swim:Workers at Volkswagen's Tennessee factory voted to join the United Auto Workers, marking a historic win for the 89- year-old union that is seeking to expand where it has struggled before, with foreign-owned factories in the South.The vote is a breakthrough for the UAW, whose membership has shrunk by about three-quarters since the 1970s, to less than 400,000 workers last year.UAW leaders have hitched their growth ambitions to organizing nonunion auto factories, many of which are in southern states where the Detroit-based labor group has failed several times and antiunion sentiment abounds."People are ready for change," said Kelcey Smith, 48, who has worked in the VW plant's paint shop for about a year, after leaving his job at an Amazon.com warehouse in town. "We look forward to making history and bringing change throughout the entire South."   ...Start the clock on a Chattanooga shutdown.
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