Luxury vehicle Lincoln (whereas it formerly competed with Mercury) and front-wheel drive Acura and Lexus models, while Cadillac is aimed at the "luxury" segment which generally encompasses the performance-oriented BMW and Mercedes-Benz marques. The premium compact segment is targeted at a niche market of consumers who found the existing entry-level luxury offerings (mostly consisting of compact executive cars - see below) to be too expensive. By offering a smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient, and less expensive vehicle, premium compacts introduce younger buyers to the luxury marque, in hopes of retaining the coveted customer loyalty. This includes for example the Alfa Romeo Giulietta (940),
Toyota Aurion (XV40) Toyota Australia then commenced work on the development of the car, concurrently developing both the Australian car and the version for Asia. Beranger proclaims that the entire engineering undertaking, "is probably one of the most significant jobs that any subsidiary of Toyota Japan has done anywhere in the world." The Australian variant of the car was codenamed "323L". Despite both cars being essentially identical, Australia was given a different code due to the car occupying a broader range in that market—from a fleet vehicle to a sports-oriented model. In Asia, the car's role is much narrower, being a high-end luxury