DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Lexus Oz keen on UX

Lexus has given a very strong hint that its funky UX concept will spawn a production compact crossover.

And if that happens, Lexus Australia will be at the front of the queue to ensure the Audi Q3 rival makes it onto our SUV-mad shores and into its dealerships.

The UX concept was one of the hits of the Paris motor show late last year, grabbing plenty of attention with its overt styling.

In the same way as its big brother the NX share sits underpinnings with parent Toyota’s RAV4, so a UX production vehicle would be derived from the Toyota C-HR mini-crossover that goes on sale in Australia in February.

“If everybody says they want it then we might do that,” Lexus global MD Tokuo Fukuichi told motoring.com.au at the Detroit auto show.

"And does everyone say they want it?" he was immediately asked.

“It has a good reaction from people -- it’s certainly desirable.

“So I understand the market voice is that that is the kind of size of an SUV that is becoming more and more mainstream.

“It looks like where the market is because there is high demand for it.”

Asked moments later whether a production version of UX would be of interest, Lexus Australia chief executive Peter McGregor was unhesitating.

“If Lexus International decides to take a vehicle such as the UX concept -- or something similar -- into production into a sub-NX market we would certainly be putting our hand up and asking for that in Australia,” he said.

In fact, McGregor hinted that Lexus HQ might have already been encouraged by Australia to green-light the UX for production.

“We make our case known for every vehicle we need to be introduced in Australia,” McGregor said.

A production UX would be a further boost to Lexus sales in Australia, which finished 2016 at a new record beyond 9000 registrations.

Lexus sales have grown for the last five years and a massive 29 per cent in the last two years, with a lot of help from the relatively new NX.