Lexus will end sales of three models in Europe to put more emphasis on SUVs in the region.
Toyota's premium brand said that the CT compact hatchback, the IS midsize sedan and RC coupe would cease to be available in Europe once current stocks are depleted. It stopped production of the models for Europe this summer, a spokesman told Automotive News Europe.
"It's a decision based on the evolution of our portfolio," he said. "If you look at the sales of Lexus in Europe and the overall market, the evolution is going more toward SUVs."
The UX compact SUV was Lexus's top-seller in the first eight months of this year at 10,291, followed by the NX midsize SUV at 7,739, figures from market researcher JATO Dynamics show. The RX large SUV was the brand's No. 3-seller with 3,474.
Sales of the CT, the oldest model in Lexus's European lineup, were down 35 percent to 2,344 through August, with the IS at 1,101, a decline of 50 percent, according to JATO. The Japanese automaker sold just 422 units of the RC, which is a rival to the BMW 4-Series. Lexus, however, will continue selling the RC F performance car.