Lexus International today announced it sold 677,615 vehicles during the 2016 calendar year. This robust sales performance represents a 4% increase over calendar year 2015 (652,451 units). The 2016CY sales performance is also the 4th consecutive record year of sales for the globally emerging Lexus brand.
“We are pleased with our global sales in a very challenging luxury market where customers have more choices than ever. Such sales help validate the customer focus of our brand, the products, and the design direction of Lexus globally. As we continue to expand, our hope is to maintain this steady and sustainable growth, balancing the growth and sales between our established markets and emerging regions.” said Lexus International President Tokuo Fukuichi.
Established Lexus operations in Japan, Europe, China, East Asia and Oceania all posted new annual sales records. Within Europe, the best ever sales performance (74,316 units) for the region was propelled by growth in 10 countries that enjoyed their strongest sales efforts to date. Japan’s 5th consecutive year of best-ever sales (52,149) units also helped propel the Lexus brand into the number two position in the luxury market. Lexus sales in China eclipsed the 100k threshold for the first time in the brand’s history in that market with 109,151 total sales.
Calendar year 2017 will see the Lexus brand bring the flagship LC coupe to market in addition to a reborn LS sedan. These two premium models signal the brand direction for Lexus with their passionate styling, performance and visionary technologies. In addition, the UX Concept revealed at the Paris Auto Show in September of 2016 embodies some the latest Lexus thinking in a small-crossover vehicle category.
Lexus International Executive Vice President Yoshihiro Sawa added, “2017 will see us push develop our Lexus brand as the all-new LC coupe and LS sedans arrive to market. The styling language, performance, identity and emotion communicated by these two important models will help better communicate our evolving luxury life style brand image to global consumers.”
Lexus will continue its decade-plus long partnership with the world’s largest design event, the Salone del Mobile di Milano (Milan Design Week). The Lexus Design Award is an annual collaboration with world-renowned designers that encourages up and coming designers to create unique installations that express true luxury in unique interpretations of design.
In summer of 2017, Lexus will have a role in the Luc Besson directed science fiction epic Valerian: City of a Thousand Planets. The film’s hero, Valerian played by Dane Dehaan, pilots a Lexus Skyjet which is a visionary interpretation of future transportation and was the result of collaboration between Lexus Design and the film’s creatives.
The Intersect By Lexus luxury culture and cuisine brand experience space and design gallery in Tokyo celebrated its third anniversary last summer. A second Intersect By Lexus gallery is now open in Dubai UAE for guests to enjoy Lexus experiences outside of their cars, and a third Intersect By Lexus gallery is scheduled to open in New York.
Lexus entered international motorsports in 2016, with active programs racing the RC F coupe in Japan’s Super GT GT500 series and in the German VLN endurance racing series at the famous Nürburgring circuit. In North America, Lexus USA will be debuting two RC F GT3 coupes at the Rolex 24-hours of Daytona endurance race. These vehicles will compete as the 3GT team on the IMSA GTD series of pro sportscar racing.
The year 2017 will see the LC500/LC500h arrive in showrooms offering a new coupe flagship to customers who want superior dynamics and breakthrough styling in one seductive vehicle. Lexus’ Multi-stage Hybrid technology also first appears in the LC coupe. This innovative system uses mechanical multi-speed transmission and software to help maximize the driving experience of the highly reliable power split device used to balance engine and electric motor output on hybrids. For the driver, the 10 discrete speeds the new hybrid system creates helps deliver the sensation, acceleration and reflexes akin to the mechanical 10-speed automatic equipped on the gasoline version.
In 2017, at the North American Auto Show, the all-new LS 500 debuted the brand’s 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo. Boasting 415 horsepower, this new engine breaks ground in terms of efficiency and per-liter output in the class. The all-new LS goes on sale during the 2017.
Lexus revealed the pre-production version of the coming LS 500 flagship sedan to great acclaim: at the North American International Auto show the LS earned an “Eyes on Design” interior awards for Best Interior Design. This award comes on the heels of the two awards won by the LC coupe the prior year which shares architecture and design language with the all-new LS.