Lexus said on Monday that it plans to present its latest hatchback in March 2015, the magazine Motoring reports.
The presentation may take place at the International Motor Show in Geneva early next month.
The new model is expected to be based on the platform of the Toyota Yaris, and will become the first car in the Lexus line to be targeted at more budget-minded buyers.
Lexus had previously said that it would never assemble cars worth less than 30,000 dollars. However, if the hatchback gets positive reviews, it will be produced on a wide-scale basis as of 2018.
The current U-turn is attributed to the economic situation in thriving auto markets across the world.
