Made-in-China Quality Is Not Good Enough, Lexus Says
- Import duties make Lexus cars pricier in China than BMW, Audi
- U.S. plant became No. 2 Lexus factory outside Japan last month
An employee inspects the paint finish of a Lexus NX SUV at the Miyata plant in Fukuoka Prefecture. Lexus has long prided itself for home-grown craftsmanship, with artisans on Japan assembly lines donning white gloves and honing years of factory experience before being entrusted to handle final inspections.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergCar buyers in China may have to wait decades before Toyota Motor Corp. begins producing Lexus luxury cars locally, as the world’s largest automaker wagers they’ll favor made-in-Japan vehicles as a guarantee of quality.
While BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi all manufacture in China, Lexus has stuck to shipping finished models from Japan, incurring import taxes that make its offerings more costly. The brand remains a holdout from building locally despite indications of significant improvement in China’s auto manufacturing credentials.