Lexus RX Hybrid: 1st Generation News & Information

For the ninth consecutive year, Lexus has topped the J.D. Power & What Car? UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study:

In the manufacturer rankings, Lexus ranks highest for a ninth consecutive year, receiving a customer satisfaction score of 833. Lexus performs particularly well in two of four key measures: service satisfaction and vehicle appeal. Rounding out the top five nameplates are Honda (817), Mercedes-Benz (808), Škoda and Toyota (805 each).

The fact that Lexus has managed to take this award every year since they were eligible to win is exceptional—a true accomplishment. What’s more, the Lexus RX was named the top vehicle in the survey, with the IS coming in fourth.

Source: What Car? (Thanks Stan!)

Although no exact numbers are mentioned, The Auto Channel is reporting that Lexus RX 400h sales have increased in the UK by 28% over last July, which is especially impressive given the current SUV climate in the country:

That [28%] growth stands in stark contrast to the fortunes of rival luxury brands, which suffered an average decline of 30 per cent in SUV sales.

And for some famous names, new registrations have tumbled by as much as 50 per cent.

Lexus attributes the strong showing to the hybrid engine, which sneaks the RX 400h into a lower tax band.

Commenting on the results, Belinda Poole, Lexus GB Director, said: “The RX 400h is the first and remains the only hybrid SUV on the market.

“In what is a tough market overall, this gives our Lexus Centres a great advantage in being able to offer the type of car customers want, but without the penalties in running costs they would incur with models from rival brands.”

I would have thought that the hybrid RX was simply cannabilizing sales from its conventional petrol-engine twin, but the RX 400h was dominating in 2007, making up 86% of all RX model sales in Europe.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the upcoming RX redesign affects the momentum, but it’s clear the hybrid crossover is already the brand’s #1 model in Europe.

[Source The Auto Channel]

The Fonz is trading in his motorcycle for a Lexus RX 400h, as Henry Winkler is making his way across Britain on a children’s book tour to support the government’s 2008 National Year of Reading:

Winkler, world famous for his role as “The Fonz” in the hit television show Happy Days., is now the author of a best-selling series of children’s novels about a boy called Hank Zipzer, the World’s Greatest Underachiever. Winkler based Hank on his own experiences as a boy with dyslexia.

The tour kicked off on 30 June and will continue until 10 July. First News and Winkler are visiting 11 schools* during their tour and stopping off at branches of W.H. Smith in Kingston upon Thames, Birmingham and Manchester along the way, where Winkler will be signing copies of his books.

I’ll be honest, I had no idea that Winkler was a successful children’s author, but I do know that this is my second “Celebrity drives hybrid in Britain” story today, and that definitely counts for something.

[Source: Autoblog Green]

I’ve featured a variation of this Lexus UK commercial before, but I like the concept enough to show it again:

It might be missing the rain footage of the first version, but any invisible automobile video is good by me.

While browsing Club Lexus for details on the 2008 Lexus RX 400h’s updates, I found this great photo by tomv, a new hybrid owner, which shows off the illuminated scuff plates:

Just to be clear, these would be visible when opening the doors. Great effect, I’m very impressed.

It wasn’t until Lexus Australia announced the changes that I realized the 2008 RX 400h has received some minor updates, most notably new front & rear lights, which look great:

Lexus also applied the hybrid blue badging, bringing it inline with the LS 600h and GS 450h, and added some new red or black wood panel accents inside as well as illuminated scuff plates. Some safety features were also added, automatically locking doors and an anti-theft intrustion detector.

A new upgraded chrome package is now available, which includes a revised chrome grille, new door handles, chrome-finish 18-inch alloy wheels, and a color-coded rear spoiler.

[Source: Lexus Australia]