'Premiere Compact' Lexus CT 200h will make it to U.S.

CarScoop:

The all-new Lexus CT 200h premium hybrid hatchback, which had its world premiere at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show today, will be sold in the U.S.A. after all...

Lexus' second dedicated hybrid model... will be on display for the first time in North America at the 2010 New York Auto Show that runs from March 31 through April 11. European as well as North American sales will start early next year.

"When the all-new Lexus CT 200h enters the market it will be the only hybrid vehicle in the emerging premium compact segment," said Mark Templin, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager.

The CT rolls on 17-inch wheels wedded to a brand new front-wheel platform. Its 1.8 liter gas engine is accompanied by an electric motor, though no performance figures have been released thus far. As befits a true hybrid, the CT is gear-less, using an electronic CVT transmission with ECO, SPORT and NORMAL settings.

I'm still stunned by the marketing hyperbole, namely: "the emerging premium compact segment."

In other words, they just made up the whole damn segment.