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Lexus hints at possible IS SportCross comeback [w/poll]

We're looking forward to seeing the 2014 Lexus IS in person next week at the Detroit Auto Show to see if its brazen design is any less polarizing in person, but Lexus (or at least its Facebook team) has dropped a not-too-subtle hint about the possible return of the SportCross body style - something in between a hatchback and station wagon. The current generation IS comes in sedan and convertible models, but this is an interesting teaser that might suggest an expanded IS lineup.
On its Facebook page, Lexus said:
Do you remember the '02 IS 300 Sport Cross with its style, utility and performance? Will we bring it back? Watch the 2014 IS premiere on Facebook in 6 days to find out!

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Lexus ES350 confirmed for Kentucky production starting in 2015

Following Thursday's report, Toyota has confirmed that production of the Lexus ES will move to its Georgetown, KY assembly plant starting in 2015. To accommodate the extra 50,000 units of capacity that the ES represents, Toyota will be investing $360 million in the plant and hiring 750 new workers.
In the previous report, sources stated that the state of Kentucky had offered Toyota as much as $146.5 million to move ES production to the Georgetown facility.
The press release, posted below, specifies that only the ES350 will be built in Kentucky, so it's likely that the ES300h hybrid will continue to be built in Japan - where all ES models have been built since the car was introduced in 1989. Toyota's Georgetown plant, which currently builds the Toyota Camry, will also be getting an expansion to its engine plant to produce more four-cylinder engines at a cost of $30 million and will create an additional 80 jobs.