The Lexus CT200h has reached the end of the line. Lexus said the hybrid hatchback won’t return for the 2018 model year, at least in the United States; it’ll continue to be sold elsewhere for the foreseeable future. The CT first arrived in 2011 and has been Lexus’s smallest and least expensive offering for several years now.
We’re not too surprised by this news, given the CT’s age and dwindling sales numbers. Lexus sold just 8903 copies of the CT200h in 2016, a fraction of the sales numbers enjoyed by other entry-luxury models such as the Mercedes-Benz CLA-class (25,792) and the Audi A3 (31,538) during the same time frame. The CT200h’s hybrid drivetrain, shared with the previous-generation Toyota Prius, had also started to look outdated, with its 42-mpg EPA combined fuel economy far outclassed by the latest Prius and its 52-mpg rating.
So what’s next for the low end of Lexus’s lineup? A new subcompact crossover called the UX is on its way, and it is likely to have a hybrid variant that will act as a sort of de facto replacement for the CT. Until then, the cheapest way to snag a new L-badged vehicle will be the $36,260 NX crossover—or perhaps a discount on one of the remaining 2017 CT200h models still found at Lexus dealers for now.
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