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]

Automotive News has published a report detailing what seems to be Lexus' entire future manufacturing plans, though it's unclear as to the source of this information. Regardless, allow me to summarize:

• The LF-A, or the "LF-1" as its referred to in the article, has been pushed back yet again due to the performance-to-cost ratio and the slumping global economy. The supercar is now looking at a 2010 release, which means there will be a need for significant restyling on top of the performance reworking.
• The rumored GS-F has been put on hold due to the economy and rising concern about oil prices. The GS is expected to be redesigned in 2011.
• The non-hybrid LS 460 will be getting AWD as an option in 2010, with a redesign following in 2013.
• The dedicated hybrid getting so much press will indeed be different from the Toyota Prius, though it will be a small 4-cylinder sedan. It's expected to be released in early 2010.
• The ES will be redesigned for 2011, and will be offered with the hybrid engine currently in the RX 400h.
• There will be a RAV4-sized Lexus offered in Europe & Japan, and will be brought to North America in 2013.
• Next year will see the introduction of the new RX, and with RX 430h, RX 440h and RX 450h recently trademarked by Lexus, it looks as though the hybrid version will be getting more power. No third row will be offered.
• The 4Runner-based GX may be replaced by seven-seat crossover built on the GS platform, depending on consumer SUV demand.

If that seems like a lot of information to process, that's because it is. It'll take some time to process, but it really seems like Lexus is slowing down the pace. It's possible there's a wait-and-see position as the company watches how the new RX and coupe/convertible IS are received. There's obviously some fairly extensive re-evaluating happening...

[Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)] (Thanks Jarrett!)

800 temporary workers at a Toyota plant in Japan were laid off yesterday:

Japanese automaker Toyota has laid off 800 people at a plant in southwestern Japan, or about 10 percent of the plant's work force, in response to declining sales in North America, a company official said Tuesday.

All the job cuts — carried out in June and August at Toyota Motor Corp.'s wholly owned subsidiary Toyota Motor Kyushu — applied to workers sent by job-referral agencies. Japanese companies are increasingly relying on such agencies for temporary workers called "haken" to be flexible to market demand.

Prior to the layoffs, Toyota Motor Kyushu, which makes Lexus luxury models, had employed 8,200 workers — 1,950 of them haken — an official said on condition of anonymity, citing company policy.

The official said the job cuts were temporary and 500 haken workers will be brought back later this year. He declined to comment on why they would be needed back, saying product plans can't be released.

Just looking at the first six months of Lexus sales, it's not surprising that a workforce adjustment was necessary. (The article also talks about the concept of Haken workers in Japan, which I found very interesting.)

[Source: Manufacturing.net]

The July 2008 numbers for Lexus USA are in:

The LX 570 is shining like a single star in the sky, moving a staggering 843 units. Everything else, as you can see, is down -- and significantly. Why is Lexus being hit so hard by the market slowdown? Two reasons jump out at me:

• Generally speaking, Lexus owners tend to be conservative, and in a recession are more likely to hold off on any big purchases.
• Lexus just isn't pushing the same level of incentives. For their summer sales event, dealers are offering 2.9% APR financing. Compare that to BMW, who are offering 0.9% APR financing. Big difference there.

Combine these points with a lack of new models, and the numbers start to make sense. (Still, 40%+ drops are never pretty.)

The 2009 versions of the Lexus SC 430, GX 470 and LX 570 will remain unchanged save for some minor changes (all prices USD):

The 2009 model year SC 430 luxury hardtop convertible receives new side mirrors with incorporated turn signals and will have a base MSRP $66,805, an increase of 0.7 percent or $450.

The 2009 LX 570 will be available in an all-new Costa Azul Mica exterior color and will feature an available Luxury Package that includes semi-aniline leather-trimmed seats, Bubinga wood-trim, cool box, smart card key and 20-inch alloy wheels with a unique finish. The LX 570 base MSRP will be $75,705, an increase of 1.3 percent or $1,005.

The GX 470 carries over unchanged for the 2009 model year and will have a base MSRP of $47,615, an increase of 0.6 percent or $300.

This would seem to contradict the Edmunds report that the SC would be cancelled, though sales are bound to be even less than this year. Too bad about the GX, though, I was hoping for an update of some sort.

(Also announced was a $500 price increase to the 2008 RX 400h, bringing the FWD/AWD totals to $42,080 and $43,480 respectively.)

[Source: Lexus]

Lexus Europe have reported their 2008 January to June sales, and the result is very similar to the US numbers. For the first six months of the year, 24,859 vehicles have been sold, a 14% decrease from last year.

The press release also mentions that 35% of all Lexus' sold in Europe are hybrids, which is down from 37% last year. (Hardly a significant drop, but it's worth mentioning.)

In addressing the drop in sales, the Toyota press release included a very interesting quote:

‘2008 has been challenging as we prepare for a new product offensive and face tougher external pressures,’ said Tadashi Arashima, President and Chief Executive Officer of TME. ‘We are confident of entering a new phase of growth in-line with the introduction of 18 models, including two hybrids, to Europe. Each model will bring improved fuel efficiency, helping to expand our low CO2 sales mix.’

With eighteen new models (!!!) about to be introduced, it looks like Toyota/Lexus is about to begin a major offensive in Europe.

[Source: Infibeam]