“I’ll be very transparent. It’s our signature grille. Some of our models have a more expressive signature grille than others. The folks that look at it as somewhat polarizing would be, for the most part, the folks that have been with us since the beginning,” Bracken revealed to Car Buzz in Detroit.
“In fact I’ll take phone calls from some of these owners and will literally spend 45 minutes to an hour on the phone with me just expressing how disappointed they are,” he added.
For the most part, key Lexus rivals, like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW, rarely alter their respective design languages as radically as Lexus did with the introduction of the spindle grille. It’s therefore not surprising that the Japanese marque’s decision upset many long-standing customers and fans.
Despite this, Bracken said that the complaint calls he receives allow him to explain the reasons behind the change.
“It’s a very purposeful and strategic move on our part. If we lose some of our tradition owners it’s unsettling for us but won’t preclude us from moving down this path. We hope to gain more (customers) than we lose,” the executive said.
