In the two decades plus since Toyota launched Lexus as its premium marque, the brand has spread from its original market in North America to new markets around the world. Karl Schlicht has been with the company even longer: he’s now head of global marketing and product planning for Lexus, and he’s got a big [...]

Filed under: Hybrid , Marketing/Advertising , Videos , Hatchback , Lexus Lexus ‘Darkcasting’ – Click above to watch the teaser video after the break Lexus is continuing its “Darker Side of Green” advertising campaign for the new CT200h with a new video series. Comedian Whitney Cummings will interview a host of unique personalities as they drive the new hybrid hatch through their home cities. Each episode will focus on a different locality, with hotspots like San Francisco, Miami and New Orleans taking center stage.

Filed under: LA Auto Show , Crossover , Saab , Luxury LA 2010: 2012 Saab 9-4X – Click above for high-res image gallery Saab is looking to move forward after its long relationship with General Motors . Saab CEO Victor Muller quoted Winston Churchill today at the LA Auto Show saying “If you’re going through hell…

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show , Hatchback , Infiniti , Luxury Everyone’s getting in on the premium hatchback segment, from BMW and Audi to Lexus and Volvo . According to Autocar , the market will get another addition coming in from Japan, and the UK pub’s sources say it’ll be previewed in March at the Geneva Motor Show .

Filed under: Cadillac , Ford , Lexus , Lincoln , Luxury To help spur sales last year, Lincoln offered a complimentary maintenance program on select 2010 vehicles. Initially intended as a promotional tool, Lincoln has decided to make it permanent. Starting this fall, all 2011 Lincoln vehicles will have access to free oil and filter changes, tire rotations and multi-point inspections, in addition to the four-year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty already included

Filed under: SUV , Plants/Manufacturing , Crossover , Lincoln According to the Detroit Free Press , we may see a new small Lincoln crossover crop up sometime soon. Reports indicate that Ford is looking to build another small, fuel-efficient vehicle at the company’s Louisville Assembly Plant, and that the mini-ute will likely sail under the Lincoln banner when it hits the light of day

Filed under: Hybrid , Hatchback , Toyota 2011 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy have released the latest Fuel Economy Guide, listing the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the States. Once again, the Toyota Prius tops this chart, besting the competition with its EPA ratings of 51/48 miles per gallon city/highway. Beyond the Prius, the list of fuel economy leaders is rounded out with the usual cast of characters, including the Ford Fusion Hybrid (as well as its Milan and MKZ counterparts), Honda Civic Hybrid , Lexus HS 250h and more

Filed under: Hybrid , Hatchback , Toyota 2011 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy have released the latest Fuel Economy Guide, listing the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the States. Once again, the Toyota Prius tops this chart, besting the competition with its EPA ratings of 51/48 miles per gallon city/highway.

Filed under: Performance , Videos , Lexus , Toyota , Racing Toyota pays tribute to one of its icons, Hiromu Naruse – Click above to watch the video after the jump Master Test Driver Hiromu Naruse was, and still is, a legend for Toyota . The man had a hand in nearly every single important sports car to come from the automaker. He’s logged more hours on the N?rburgring than any other Japanese driver, and those at Toyota called him the “Nur Miester,” or “one and only master,” while friends at Ferrari referred to him as “the man who knows all the world’s roads.” His job was to drive cars, evaluate them and help figure out how to make them better.

Filed under: SEMA Show Well, look at that… Day Two has finally come to a close, and this is but a small sampling of what we brought you over the last couple of days from the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We’ll have a little bit more coming your way tomorrow morning as we wrap up the final day of the festivities.