TOKYO — Koji Sato was given very clear marching orders when he took over as president of Lexus International on Jan. 1. His boss Akio Toyoda instructed him: Make change.
The Lexus chief is not yet revealing exactly how he will shake things up.
But Sato, speaking to Automotive News here this month, said the "new Lexus" will focus on emotion, electrification and automated driving. And in the critical U.S. market, where sales have slid for two of the last four years, another priority will be animating its staid and stodgy brand image.