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2,456 views Jul 27, 2009

New model will be positioned below the IS but is unlikely to arrive in the United States

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We've told you about the new Lexus compact car being developed for markets outside the U.S. Now, Autocar magazine reports the new vehicle will have a fall debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

The proposed new Lexus would challenge the likes of the BMW 1-Series and the new Mercedes A- and B-Class, as well as the coming Audi A3 and A1. It could be dubbed the CS, and sources say the new vehicle may be pitched only as a hybrid car, with no gas-only version in the cards.

Though it wouldn't share the platform of the Lexus HS 250h sold here, the new vehicle would share the 2.4-liter hybrid four-cylinder powertrain found in the HS 250h.

It's unlikely to go on sale in the U.S., but a European launch for the new vehicle is said to be in the works for the fall of 2010. A diesel version is unlikely, though the new car could share a platform with the Lexus IS range, which does offer a diesel in Europe.