Lexus Thinks Compact LF-Ch Hatchback Hybrid Would Sell in U.S.

Although the Lexus booth at the 2009 LA Auto Show was rather devoid of inspiring next-gen green automotive technology, I did make a quick stop by to look at their traveling LF-Ch exhibit. The company has put together a display that’s supposed to help figure out what styling cues show attendees like best about the concept hybrid hatchback by giving them the ability to take pictures of the car and upload them to a database. It actually was one of the worst-executed interactive displays I’ve seen in a long time. Needless to say, I decided to pass up the interactivity.
But, hokey auto show displays aside, the LF-Ch concept—which made its official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show—is actually kind of a cool looking car. And it marks a clearly new direction of thinking for Lexus; it’s the first compact hybrid concept from the automaker that’s geared towards the younger Scion crowd—reflecting a trend in the luxury market towards a smaller scale and outreach to young urbanites.