The launch Tuesday of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus LS model will be an important gauge of success for the Lexus marque in Japan's fiercely competitive luxury car segment.
Although Toyota has repeatedly stressed it will a while before its new brand takes root here, Lexus has so far struggled to gain a foothold against imports such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
"Toyota launched the Lexus brand in hopes of luring customers away from rivals BMW and Mercedes, which dominate the (luxury auto) market in Japan," said Shinji Kitayama, a senior analyst at Shinko Securities Co.