Produces luxury cars. Initially, they were intended for sale in the United States. However, they are currently shipped to many countries around the world. The headquarters is located in Japan in the city of Nagoya.

Name history

Users of these prestigious cars claim that the word has no meaning, but is simply a designation for a luxury car. However, the creators claim that the name is related to the name Alexis. It was considered as an option for the name of a new line of cars from Toyota. The prototype was the hero of the famous series "Dynasty" Alexis Carrington. But this name did not completely pass, it was slightly transformed, becoming - "Lexus" (Lexus).

Setting goals, researching prospective markets

In 1983, the leadership of Toyota set a goal - to create the best car in the world in the category executive class. During this period, there was a demand for premium cars, especially in the United States of America. By that time, in the territory of this state, Toyota was already known as a corporation that produces reliable and quality cars. But the executive class car niche was not covered, in connection with which it was decided to start developing cars in this category.

Before the start of production, Toyota organized a large-scale research study of the potential market, which was accompanied by a thorough design of future cars. For this purpose, premises in California were rented in order to establish the preferences of potential buyers on the spot.

In 1989, work on the creation of the car was completed. According to the corporation, almost 60 designers, about 1,400 specialist engineers in various areas of the automotive industry, and more than 2,500 mechanics were involved in the development. Approximately 450 prototypes of the car were produced. In total, more than $1 billion has been invested in the project.

Start of production

However, the result of this work was impressive. The Lexus LS 400, unique for those times, entered the market, featuring a unique design, an advanced four-liter V 8 engine. The Japanese plant in the city of Tahara is the place where Lexus number one is assembled.

The debut took place in early 1989, at the Detroit Auto Show. Already after 9 months, in September, its sales began through the established distribution network in the United States. At the same time, the very process of starting sales was surrounded by a massive advertising campaign in the media.

The first Lexus received good feedback for equipment, advanced aerodynamics, efficiency. The gasoline engine was also awarded good reviews. Prices for the car were about $38,000, which was considered a reasonable amount. Highly marked and handling characteristics. However, critics noted the stiffness of the suspension. She did not give the opportunity to fully enjoy the comfortable environment of the car.

During the first year, 1989, 16,392 units of the Lexus LS 400 and the ES 250 sedan, another model of the company, were sold in the United States. In 1990, sales increased even more, with 63,594 of these two models sold. In the same year, small batches of premium cars were delivered to Australia, Great Britain, Canada and Switzerland.

Production expansion

In the spring of 1991, Lexus launched the SC 400 sports coupe on the market, with the same engine as the LS 400. It had impressive performance for those times, in 6.9 seconds it was able to accelerate to 1,000 km / h. After some time, sales of the new generation sedan ES 300 from the predecessor ES 250 began. This car became the best-selling car of this brand.

The following year, 1992, the Lexus SC 400, ES 300 models were awarded many honorary awards at world automobile exhibitions. The company has overtaken BMW and Mercedes in terms of sales in the United States. In September of the same year, an improved LS 400 was launched on the market, in which almost 50 modifications were made.

In January 1993, automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, hired by Lexus to develop innovative and advanced vehicles, issued new model- GS300. A year later, she became a very noticeable novelty in Europe on her platform was based on the Toyota S.

The first SUV from Lexus - LS 450 was developed in 1996. Immediately after it, the third generation of the GS 300 was released. In 1998, Lexus launched the premium crossover RX 300, as well as new generation cars, the GS 300 and GS 400.

The production version of the RX300 was equipped with a three-liter V 6 engine, as well as an improved 4-speed automatic transmission gears. The plant in Tahor remained the place where the Lexus RX is assembled. Due to the fact that the capabilities of an SUV, sedan and station wagon were successfully matched in this car, it became a very popular and best-selling premium crossover in the American market. The following year, 1999, Lexus sold its millionth car in the United States.

In the same period, the company's penetration into South America begins, sales start in Brazil.

Reorganization

Since the beginning of the XXI century, the company annually supplied its new products to the market. This and the new IS line is a continuation of innovation in the sports sedan class. At the same time, the first SC 430 convertible was created, as well as new third-generation cars from the LS 430 class.

Around this time, Lexus launched the GX 470 SUV, as well as the new generation RX 330. 2004 was marked by the fact that the company celebrated its two millionth car sold, as well as the launch of the first 400h RX hybrid SUV.

In 2005, Lexus was organizationally separated from its progenitor, Toyota. He got a production center, a factory where Lexus is assembled, design bureaus, and design departments. At the same time, the company entered the domestic market of Japan, and also significantly expanded its sales in global world markets, including China.

The economic crisis of 2008 somewhat slowed down the development of sales. However, in 2009, the YS 250 h was put into production, destined for North America, Japan hybrid. An off-road hybrid 450 h RX was also released.

Since 2010, the company has entered the market, including the Russian one with a compact hybrid hatchback CT 200 h.

At the beginning of 2012, Lexus began to implement fourth generation GS 350, new lines of 450h variants. In the same year, the company launches the sixth generation of the ES series.

Where is the Lexus assembled?

The company develops and manufactures all cars at one of the most advanced automotive enterprises in the world, at the Tahara plant. The build quality at this location is evidenced by the fact that all employees at the entrance are subjected to a mandatory air shower to remove dust.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, Lexus began to assemble cars at other Japanese factories. The North American market is mainly replenished with brand machines on its own assembly plant. Canada, the city of Cambridge - the place where the Lexus is assembled.

V Russian Federation Lexus does not have any car assembly facilities and does not plan to open them. This is due to the fact that the company's management avoids unnecessary risk to its reputation. Almost all cars of this representative brand are imported to the Russian Federation from Japan - the country where Lexus is assembled for Russia. Those that were produced in North American factories are extremely rare here.

The NX model, popular in our country, was developed by the company exclusively for motorists in Russia and the United States. Where the Lexus HX is assembled - in Japan. In Miyata Prefecture, car factory in the city of Kyushu.

Lexus NX - crossover, compact, first shown in 2014 in Beijing, in three versions. It is based on the Toyota RAV4 platform. On sale since autumn 2014. At the plant where the Lexus NX is assembled, other models are also being produced - RX, CT 200h.

Lexus is the luxury car division of Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1989 in the US, Lexus is now available in more than 70 countries around the world and the brand has become the best-selling premium brand in Japan. Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. The entire range of Lexus.

Story

According to the creators, the sound and spelling of the brand doesn't make much sense and just stands for a luxury car.

Lexus originated from a secret project of the Toyota Corporation, which appeared six years before the introduction of the Lexus LS. Subsequently, the Lexus line was expanded with a sedan, coupe, convertible and SUV. At the beginning, Lexus cars were made in Japan. The release of the first Lexus RX 330, built outside the country, at a plant in Ontario (Canada), began in 2003.

The 2000s were marked by the expansion of the brand into markets other than the traditional Japanese and North American markets. It will debut in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe and other export regions. The Lexus model range has been expanded taking into account regional characteristics.

launch

It took a team of hundreds of specialists six years and about a billion dollars to successfully launch the brand. On its debut, the LS 400 generated a lot of positive feedback. Customers appreciated the quietness in the cabin, the ergonomic interior, the performance of the new four-liter V8 gasoline engine, aerodynamics, economy and an affordable price of $38,000 in the US. Though Lexus brand appeared as if "out of nowhere", he almost immediately got a lot of devoted admirers.

Production growth

In the first year of the next decade, Lexus sold 63,594 units of the LS 400 and ES 250 sedans in the US. In the same year, the company began exporting its products to the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. 1991 - Lexus began selling its first SC 400 sports coupe, and at the end of the same year became the top-selling imported premium car in the US.

Three years later, production of the GS 300 midsize sports sedan began, based on the Toyota "S" platform. Already in 1994, the next generation of the flagship LS 400 was introduced.

1996 saw the debut of the first LX 450 SUV, followed by the third-generation ES 300 sedan. Two years later, Lexus added the first luxury crossover RX 300 and the second generation of GS 300 and GS 400 sedans. In the same year, the company made its debut in the most populous country in South America, when sales were launched in Brazil.

Reorganization

Since 2000, the company has annually delighted consumers with new products: this year the IS line was presented, New episode entry level sports sedans. And later, with an interval of a year, the first convertible was shown - the SC 430, the redesigned ES 300 and the third generation LS 430.

The following year brought with it the GX 470 midsize SUV and a year later the second generation RX 330. The following year, Lexus recorded its two millionth car sold and launched the first 400h RX luxury hybrid SUV.

In 2005, the organizational separation from the parent by Toyota, Lexus received independent design, design departments and production centers. This work coincided with the launch of Lexus on domestic market Japan and the expansion of the brand's global sales in the world's largest markets, such as China.

F models and hybrids

The second half of the 2000s began with sales of the 450h GS hybrid sedan. And since the beginning of 2007, Lexus has announced a new line of F models, which will consist of powerful cars, stylized as sports cars. The first of this line was the IS F, which debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

In connection with the economic crisis of 2008, the company's sales dropped noticeably. Despite this, 2009 saw the launch of the HS 250h, a hybrid sedan destined for North America and Japan, and the 450h RX, the second generation of the hybrid SUV, and the exotic coupe launched the same year.

Country-manufacturer "Lexus" - Japan (city of Toyota). The Lexus division is part of the Japanese concern Toyota Motors Corporation, and is mainly engaged in the production of luxury cars for the US and European markets, and Toyota cars are mainly sold in Japan. The main direction of the company is the creation of elite expensive cars with leading comfort characteristics for driver and passenger, reliable engines, transmissions, innovative smooth running systems.

Brand creation

Japan, as a Lexus manufacturing country, is famous for unique technologies and innovations in the field of mechanical engineering. She had before and now has all the resources to create the best cars in the world. That is why in 1983, at a secret meeting of Toyota directors, the idea was proposed to create new brand under which the best cars in the world will be produced. So that the consumer would not have associations with Toyota, a new brand, Lexus, was invented.

Plans and positioning

1400 best engineers and designers were invited to create the first car. They faced a rather difficult task - to create a truly good car luxury class that would outperform competitors and cost less. For this, a survey group was even created to find out what exactly they want to buy in the United States. And although Japan is a manufacturing country, Lexuses were primarily aimed at the American consumer, since at that time the Japanese market already almost completely belonged to Toyota.

First car

The very first machine was created in 1985. It was the Lexus LS400 model, which was tested in Germany in 1986, and appeared on the US market in 1989. Since September of this year, sales of the car began. Outwardly, he had nothing to do with Japanese cars and looked like a typical "American". The designers did their best, as this model was well received by the American public. Even then, consumers began to wonder what kind of manufacturing country it was and whose brand was Lexus.

Subsequent models

The second car was "painted" by Giorgetto Giugiaro. We are talking about the model Lexus GS300 with a streamlined body. The most successful was the modification of the Lexus GS300 3T with a forced motor, created by the Cologne branch of Motosport, owned by Toyota.

A year after entering the US market, the American press called the Lexus LS400 sedan the best imported car. However, there is nothing particularly surprising here, since the car, with its high power, had low fuel consumption due to successful aerodynamics.

In May 1991, the market appeared new car- Lexus SC400 Coupé. It very much resembled the Toyota Soarer, not only in appearance but also in terms of features. However, after 1998, the differences between these machines disappeared during restyling.

In 1993, a five-seater Lexus ES300 sedan was also shown, which was a kind of analogue Toyota Camry in the US market.

Also in the family of cars from Lexus includes luxury jeep With all-wheel drive LX450. It incorporates the comfort of an executive car and the advantages of Toyota's popular SUV in Japan. Land cruiser HDJ 80. A little later, an improved version of the all-wheel drive jeep appeared - the Lexus LX470.

1998 in the history of the company will be remembered for showing the first car with the IS index. In the spring of next year, the first IS200 model from Lexus appeared on the American market. body shape and specifications machines made it possible to make a racing model out of it.

In the manufacturing country, Lexus developed quite quickly due to the high consumer demand for these cars in the United States. In early 2000, as expected, updates appeared. First, the IS300 was shown in Los Angeles, and then in Detroit everyone saw a successful reincarnation of the LS400 - LS430. In fact, this is the flagship among cars, which had the most innovative technologies, a navigation system, an expensive leather interior, as well as powerful engine V8 with 280 horsepower Horse power. It could accelerate to 100 km/h in just 6.7 seconds. With all this, he had a minimum coefficient of drag.

In the same year in New York, the Lexus company announced the appearance of the SC430 model, and also shared its plans for 2003. It was assumed that after 3 years Lexus cars RX300 will be released on Toyota plant In Canada. It should be noted that before that, only Japan was considered the country-manufacturer of Lexus cars.

peak sales

In June, the IS300 went on sale; in August, Lexus becomes the first luxury import brand in the US to sell over 20,000 vehicles in a month. At the same time, the improvement of existing brands is in full swing - the GS400 is being replaced by the improved GS430, which has successfully entered the series. The results for 2000 showed that for the fifth year in a row, Lexus increased its sales, easily outperforming other luxury brands in the US. At this time, American consumers already know perfectly well who produces Lexus, the manufacturing country as a whole is trusted, and even other brands Japanese cars well received by the buyer.

In 2001, Toyota announces that the suspension and motors for the RX300 will be built at its Buffalo facility. A short time after that, the IS300 SportCross (with a shift button on the steering wheel), IS300 Manual Transmission (with mechanical box gears) and the production of the new SC430 is being prepared for launch. In March, the car was ready, but by the time sales started, orders for this car had already been scheduled.

Coming to other countries

By 2002, this brand was respected all over the world and understood whose country is the manufacturer of Lexus. First official dealer appeared in Russia in 2002. They became the company "Lexus-Business Car". A year later, there were two dealers.

In 2003, Detroit presented famous model RX300 and the more dynamic RX330. The latter had luxury options and innovative technological solutions. On the roads of Russia and Europe, this car can be seen quite often. In its class, the RX300 overtook all competitors. In the same year, the assembly of machines began at a plant in Canada and Germany. And although Lexus cars are being developed in the manufacturing country of Japan, they are manufactured and assembled in different parts of the world, including Russia.

Plans for the future

The company said that they plan to replenish their lines diesel vehicles for Europe, because there are diesel power plants are more popular due to less environmentally harmful exhaust. There are also plans to develop hybrid cars for the US market, where hybrids are gaining popularity. However, such cars already exist even today.

Toyota, whose Lexus brand is not very popular in the manufacturing country of Japan, also plans to take a large part of its home market. However, this is not surprising, because Lexus was primarily focused on other countries, since Japan already bought Toyota cars with might and main. A new brand was not needed at all for this.

Conclusion

The once unknown brand has become very popular, and today everyone knows where Lexuses are made. Thanks to this brand (and not only it), the country of origin has created an excellent reputation as a reliable car manufacturer. However, it should be understood that most of the merit of the brand's success belongs to Toyota, because Lexuses were not created from scratch, but on the basis of existing and advanced technologies at that time. So you need to remember who produces Lexuses in the manufacturing country. This is the Japanese concern "Toyota" - a giant of the automotive industry, which today is one of the industry leaders not only in Japan, but throughout the world.

Since the mass appearance of cars, we have become accustomed to comparing them. Since each car includes advantages and disadvantages, any comparison is subjective. Is it worth comparing two car brands belonging to the same concern, where Lexus is a more expensive version of Toyota? Is there a difference in quality other than price? Although the Lexus lineup is completely based on the platform of its brother, these premium cars are head and shoulders above in terms of reliability and build quality. This opinion has existed among motorists since the early 2000s. Is it really so? Let's turn to history, to the time of the emergence of a new brand called Lexus.

Lexus is a car that positions itself as an improved and expensive version of Toyota, this can be found in concern VAG, where the three models are technically the same, but their market value and quality differ from each other. The point of creating a new brand from Toyota was to create a new strong competitor in the premium class between BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

History of creation

The realization that movable products and equipment were of extremely poor quality occurred in Japan at the end of World War II. The only pride of Japan is naval equipment, which is distinguished by reliability and quality. Compared to the military equipment of the USSR, Europe or America, Japanese equipment called "tanks" was a completely incomprehensible "miracle" of engineering. However, in the 1940s, Japan won the war in the Asia-Pacific region. The question becomes: how it was possible to do this, having terrible military equipment. In fact, in the Asian countries that fought with Japan, the concept of a "tank" practically did not exist. Therefore, Japan could feel its power before meeting with US troops.

In the middle of the last century, any company wishing to supply weapons and ammunition to the American armed forces were required to pass quality control to obtain a special certificate issued by the University of Berkeley (California). Edward Deming is a professor who invented a statistical method for testing a product. Taking his methodology as a basis, the institute selected the best among the proposed equipment and ammunition, after which an agreement was drawn up between the company and the state, and they began to supply army products. The Shewhart cycle, which he promoted among the heads of the largest Japanese corporations in 1946 after the surrender of Japan, brought the professor worldwide fame. This served as a powerful impetus, so that thanks to new quality standards, the industry, including the automotive industry, began to gain momentum.

The meaning of the cycle was that everything should begin with the head of the company, where the head gives instructions and advice to the subordinate. The professor recommended focusing on top managers. If they take the Shewhart cycle as a basis, then in 10 years Japan will be several steps ahead in the development of all industries around the world.

One company that followed Deming's philosophy was Toyota. In a short period of time, Toyota has become a global famous brand. Since then, Edward Deming has been the father of Toyota quality.

Honda also followed the cycle, but was only successful in sales of motorcycles of the same name and two models. cars(Civic and Accord). After the maximum implementation of the acquired knowledge, Honda decided to conquer automotive market high class, and created a brand - Acura, the meaning of which is to become a competitor for advanced German cars.

The first 3 years, Acura was successful in the number of car sales, but even now it is not rare car in the world. This is the clearest example of how Honda has become a premium car brand by creating a luxury brand that Deming promoted.

Toyota, noticing the undoubted success of its competitors, decided to follow in its footsteps, creating an alternative to the premium Acura car - Lexus. This happened in 1989. It is noteworthy that before the release of the brand, there were long disputes about its name: "Lexis" or "Lexus". As you can see, the vypor fell on the second name. Lexus, like Acura, began to step on the tail of the most popular German "trinity": Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Marketers took a sly step when choosing a name for a new brand. The fact is that the goal of the company was to create competition specifically for Mercedes, and since the letter “L” is earlier than “M”, respectively Lexus cars in printed publications and catalogs will be ahead of the competitor, which will make a potential buyer, at least, be interested in a new Japanese brand.

Nissan completely copied Toyota's way of thinking when creating the name of a new premium brand - Infiniti.

Lexus Development

Japanese engineers decided to go the most difficult way, where they risked a fiasco by creating their own individual car base without copying a single element from DM, motivating yourself to release a car 3 heads higher than future competitors.

The development of new cars was carried out for the German autobahns, where the potential of Lexus could be unleashed. Also, the main motivation in the years when quality was higher than the quantity of profit was the first place in the J.D. Power, where cars are measured by quality and reliability.

The success of Lexus was helped by a chance: amid the global crisis, Mercedes decided to transfer a license to other companies to assemble electronic components, which greatly helped to stabilize the cost of the car. But this move affected the drop in quality german auto: most brand owners began to complain about incorrect work electronics and electricians. This helped Lexus to take the top of the list of premium cars, occupying the first positions in the J.D. rating for more than 16 years. power.

Difference between Toyota and Lexus

Before disclosing the issue, it is worth noting that the two companies equally follow the philosophy of quality and reliability, creating products according to strict standards, while maintaining their name. At least Lexus is not worse than Toyota. Most Lexus models are based on the "big brother" platform. Despite the fact that Lexus is a premium segment, the ES “twin” model, for some reason, is not as popular as the Camry, although only the interior and exterior distinguish them. The difference between the rest of the "twin" models is only in the amount of expensive equipment and options, which Lexus offers more. Does it make sense to take a Lexus on a Toyota platform? Most convince that there is no point in this, and you will most likely simply overpay for the brand. It makes sense to purchase a Lexus on its own base, which will be several times superior to Toyota in all respects.

Outcome

Toyota and Lexus in 90% model range- Twins. Companies are equally guided by the precepts of Professor Edward Deming. Today we are witnessing the undoubted success of two companies around the world, which proves to us the undoubted expediency of the legendary Shewhart cycle.