News & Information

More information about the Lexus CT 200h has emerged from its Geneva debut—according to Car Dealer Magazine and Just Auto, Lexus surveyed customers across Europe, including drivers in Germany, France and Italy, and the Audi A3 emerged as the benchmark, with Europeans preferring it over the BMW 1-series. Considering this, the CT 200h was designed with the A3 firmly in its crosshairs, and “more emphasis on sportiness in the engineering process”. 

According to chief engineer Osamu Sadakata, “This car is our understanding of what Europe wants.”

The CT advance surveys hearkens back to the original LS development program, which also began with extensive customer research of luxury sedan buyers in the U.S., only this time it’s the opposite side of the autmotive market, with CT 200h expected to attract younger buyers to the Lexus brand.

[Source: Car Dealer and Just Auto]

In the latest round of crash safety tests conducted by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), the Lexus HS 250h has received the agency’s highest rating of “Good” on its first evaluation, the frontal offset crash test.  In this test, vehicles are accelerated towards a barrier at 40 mph.

Approximately 40 percent of the vehicle’s front end comes in direct contact with the barrier, causing asymmetrical impact forces which increase the potential for cabin intrusion.  In its frontal offset test, the HS 250h came through with top ratings in each area, namely structure/safety cage, injury measures, and restraints/dummy kinematics.

Insurance Institute of Highway Safety 

A new Lexus commercial today—this one with a focus on quality and a return to the classic “Pursuit of Perfection” tagline:

This commercial leads to a new section on the Lexus USA website devoted to quality control & safety, and includes videos of the RX 350 manufacturing process at the Cambridge Ontario plant and how Lexus interior trim is created from a single piece of wood—just brilliant stuff, and one that helps define quality as one of Lexus’ most central characteristics.

Auto Express had their turn at the CT 200h Geneva display, and put together a video that shows plenty of interior footage:

The CT 200h’s door grip and handle design remind me a lot of the recently-released GX 460, which makes me wonder if this will be a shared design cue on new models.

Edmunds Inside Line recently put the Lexus GX 460 to a full test, seeking to determine whether the mid-size luxury utility vehicle successfully combines off-roading prowess and multi-purpose convenience—first off, here’s their video feature:

Much of the test is devoted to the GX 460’s technological and performance features, including:

The GX 460’s optional Crawl Control program does eliminate the need to think in some situations. It is to off-roading what the Lexus Advanced Parking Guidance system is to parallel parking.

Just look at that hill coming up. It’s steep. It’s dirt. There are ruts in it. If we lose traction in the middle of it, we just might have to push the Lexus Enform system’s Safety Connect button and call for help because there’s a drop-off on either side.

So we shift the GX 460 into its low range, engage crawl control, remove feet from brake and gas, and wait. Sure enough, the GX begins to climb at a steady rate, as Crawl Control modulates the SUV’s ABS, traction control (A-TRAC) and electronic throttle. We can hear the clatter of solenoids and hydraulic actuators under the hood. All we have to do is steer and adjust the speed via a toggle switch. It works just as magically going back down — Crawl Control is hill descent control that has evolved into adaptive off-road cruise control.

The review notes that the GX 460’s body-on-frame architecture and new V8 engine offer advantages, ranging from a 6,500-pound towing capacity to a “respectable” 7.9 second 0-60 time.  The ride quality and handling were found to be an improvement over the prior GX 470, while the flatter second row seat (with folding capability) and small third row were critiqued.  Overall, the GX 460 was found to be an “image” vehicle, capable for wilderness or suburban adventures.

[Source: Inside Line]

According to the Business Times, Singapore’s allocation of 2 Lexus LFA supercars has been “sold at speed of light” - being spoken for even before the price was announced. Lexus Borneo Singapore received deposits of SGD$80,000 shortly after the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays from two undisclosed customers. The LFA’s price in Singapore has since been announced as SGD$1.25 million, which is approximately equivalent to US$893,300.  With sixteen prospective customers expressing interest, Lexus executives in Singapore hope to increase their country’s allocation of the Japanese supercar.

Who are the lucky future LFA owners?  Lexus’ Singapore head William Choo would not disclose their names, but did reveal the following: both are “very successful businessmen but very unassuming”, “run their own companies”, are in their 60s, and “are very low profile and do not want to be identified.”  Other details: one is a longtime owner of Lexus LS sedans, the other has had multiple Lexus vehicles, and both own Porsche and Ferrari models.

[Source: Asia One Motoring]