High on Toyota's Inaba's To-Do List: Lexus, Scion

Washington DC July 27, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that Yoshi Inaba has discovered a much different Toyota in North America than the juggernaut he left behind six years ago.

Among the first things to get his attention was the need to recharge Lexus and Scion. Lexus is "my personal challenge," the outspoken 63-year-old executive said last week in a meeting with reporters in Detroit.

According to Automotive News, Inaba has returned as president and COO of Toyota Motor North America Inc. after running Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. from 1999 to 2003. He retired from the automaker in 2007 but was brought back as part of the management team installed by Toyota Motor Corp.'s new CEO, Akio Toyoda.

After outselling BMW and Mercedes for nine straight years, Lexus has drifted back in the luxury import pack in 2009. Lexus is down 34.1 percent for the first six months compared with 2008 and has been hit harder than its two main rivals.

Inaba put his stamp on Toyota's luxury brand once before. The RX crossover came out on his watch — greatly expanding Lexus' volume. Inaba also intends to jump-start the Scion youth brand, which started quickly in 2003 but has plunged in the past two years.