Three decades after crashing the European luxury car party, Japan's top brands — Lexus, Acura and Infiniti — are stepping up their game.
Crossing swords with the veteran premium marques — BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar/Land Rover and Cadillac — has brought mixed results for the Japanese in North America. While Toyota's Lexus division quickly made solid inroads into the premium market segment from its start in 1989, Honda's Acura offshoot and Nissan's Infiniti nameplate have found the going much tougher. Now all three Japanese brands are revising their strategies and launching a flood of new models.
For U.S. consumers emboldened by the recovering economy and looking to step up to a premium segment car or crossover, the result is a forthcoming host of fresh alternatives to the traditional European offerings.
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