Right from the very start, 2007 was a year of controversy for Lexus.
In January, the Detroit Auto Show saw the introduction of the IS-F and the F-Sport line. The F-Division is meant to be Lexus’ answer to Mercedes’ AMG and BMW’s M-Division, and it was a move that was criticized from allangles over the next eleven months.
There was some excellent news in April, when the LS 460 was named the World Car of the Year, beating out Audi TT and BMW Mini. The new LX 570 was introduced at the New York Auto Show, marking its first redesign in ten years.
2007 is almost over, and having given myself up to a period of reflection, I thought a recap of the year’s ten most popular stories would be in order. Without further ado:
This Youtube footage of the Lexus LF-A zooming around Nürburgring was one of my first posts to be picked up by the major auto websites, including Autoblog & Autoblog.it.
I did some snooping around and managed to dig up two previews of the Lexus tuned models that were featured at SEMA this year. Too bad all the GS models were 430s, and not 460s.
There’s a bit of a sarcastic bent to AutoWeek’s preview of the 2008 Lexus LX 570, but it still manages to fill in some blanks, including the differences between the LX 570 and the Toyota Land Cruiser:
Hey, wait a second, you say, is this just a Land Cruiser with a Lexus badge on it, the way the first ES was way too much of a Camry? Oh, ye of little faith and long memory. No, it’s not. Look at the spec sheet. It has more acronyms than a quartermaster’s RFP-at least 13 standard features not found on the Land Cruiser.
“I’m amazed at the technology in this vehicle,” said Lexus chief Mark Templin. Hey, he works there, and he’s amazed!
Some are unquestionable assets, such as the VVT-i that controls the dual overhead cams, the acoustic control induction system (ACIS) that tunes the intake runners, the new transmission-fluid temperature control that warms or cools the fluid depending on conditions and active front headrests that reduce neck injuries. Luxury technology abounds, too, including a “sub-cool accelerator system” to get cold air flowing more quickly in the four-zone climate-control system and second-row seat heaters.
As I said, a touch too sarcastic, but this is a vehicle that elicits a wide range of reactions. All in all, the preview is positive, going as far as to say this is the vehicle you want to have should civilization ever collapse. Now that’s some heavy praise!
With demand for dealer-certified used Lexus vehicles rising eight percent in 2007, Lexus has adjusted the requirements for its Certified Pre-Owned program. Eligible vehicles can now have up to 70,000 miles, where the previous mileage could only be 60,000. On top of that, the maximum age has been bumped up a year, to seven years old.
The multi-point inspection will remain the same, so vehicles will still have to meet some very strict quality standards, including a clean title history, but these changes could boost the used vehicle volume by seven percent.
With all this talk of Lexus gift-giving for Christmas, I found myself more interested in the logistics behind it: What if they don’t like the model? Or the color?
According to the Houston Chronicle, who looked into the car-giving phenomenon, vehicles can be exchanged if necessary, though there was no mention of people returning the cars immediately due to financial considerations, which I imagine happens much more often.
Something that surprised me was the cost of the red bows:
But bows aren’t typically thrown in as an afterthought. The big ones cost more than $500 because they’re so intricate, explains Machann of Westside Lexus. Hybrids get green bows, of course.
For customers who balk, the dealership has cheaper — and smaller — bows available that run as low as $85.
No matter how unsubtle my hints were, I have some real doubts that I’ll be getting an Lexus LS 600hL for Christmas, December to Remember or no. Hopefully, some of you out there have better luck!
(Posting will resume on Boxing Day December 27th. Santa left me the flu for Christmas.)
I stumbled on this image while looking for something appropriate for a previous post, and it was simply too good not to post. As for the story behind the photo, it comes from a 2005 Customer Service program run out of Lexus UK:
Lexus aftersales consultants are being given a taste of the luxury living enjoyed by their customers. All in the name of good business development, staff from Lexus Centres across the country are being pampered at top class hotels as part of a programme to raise customer care to an even higher level: experiencing for themselves the kind of quality and service their clients enjoy and expect, will help them hone their own customer care skills.
The hotel visits are not just about the high-life, however, as the training sessions include “trust” scenarios, for example where one person is talked through the procedure for shaving a blindfolded colleague with what they believe to be a cutthroat razor. This relates to the way in which new customers need to be introduced step-by-step to the aftersales procedure, without, of course, any risk of blood-letting.
For a company already renowned for its customer service, Lexus knows better than to rest on its previous success, and what better way to improve than to have sales consultants cutting at each other’s throats?
Next up with a LX 570 test drive article is Popular Mechanics, who shower the new SUV with praise, and include some detailed information how exactly Crawl Control works:
One of the technologies introduced on the LX570 is Crawl Control, which takes hill descent control several steps further. With the rollover sensing system turned off and 4-Wheel-Low range engaged in the two-speed transfer case, the driver can then activate the Crawl Control system by choosing from one of three speeds the system will allow…The vehicle will maintain in the preset speed (1, 2, or 3 mph) going downhill or uphill, in Drive or Reverse, and will stop working whenever the brake or throttle pedal is touched, but comes right back on whenever the pedal is released.
For now, this is the best there is in luxury SUVs.
In my mind, the LX 570’s design doesn’t stand out like the LX 470, but it’s hard to fault the vehicle’s capability. It will be interesting to see if this level of approval keeps up as more reviews come in.
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