Press Release
Lexus encore is for the privileged
New IS250 owners will automatically become part of the bespoke Lexus Encore privileges program.
The Encore program is considered an integral part of the Lexus ownership experience.
It is one of the most comprehensive, and most appreciated, in the luxury market. Lexus has refined and continuously improved the program over 15 years.
According to owner response, the provision of complimentary loan cars and a collection and delivery service is highly appreciated.
Every Lexus owner (within factory warranty period) is offered a loan vehicle while their Lexus is being serviced.
The dealership’s service department collects the vehicle for service from a customer’s home or office and return it after the work is done.
Lexus has developed a wide range of offers and services exclusively for its owners. Conditions relating to the program can be obtained from Lexus dealers.
The best known is the privilege package at cultural centres throughout the country.
At
All Lexus owners (within factory warranty period) visiting the Opera House, and some other cultural centres, can be greeted and feted in a number of ways.
The Lexus Legends Golf program has become a highly prized tournament amongst golf enthusiasts.
It starts at regional level and culminates in an annual grand final.
Lexus Encore participants can access a number of travel and accommodation opportunities in
A discreet Lexus Encore website, available only to members, unlocks the latest privileges.
IS250 Chief engineer profile: Suguya Fukusato
Lexus IS250 is the first Lexus for Chief Engineer Suguya Fukusato.
Mr Fukusato’s automotive design and engineering career spans 30 years.
He has held a number of significant engineering positions worldwide, and has served as Chief Engineer for six other vehicles.
On a four-year assignment in
Mr Fukusato is a motorsport enthusiast.
He has competed in rallies since his early 20s, from the Rally of Japan to more recently racing an Avensis.
His ‘weekend car’ is a 1980 Porsche 911SC.
He rides a custom-made mountain bike engineered with Formula One-inspired suspension.
Mr Fukusato’s is a self-confessed audiophile and his passion for audio has also been realised in the new IS250.
His entertainment room contains myriad audio equipment, including personally engineered speakers and amplifiers.
In a quest to create a pristine audio experience, Mr Fukusato collected a number of premium natural water samples from areas across
These samples were used to ascertain the effect of pure, natural water sources on sound reproduction while developing cone paper for IS250’s subwoofer speaker. This subwoofer will feature in the 13-speaker premium surround sound system, used in the IS250 and IS250 Sports.
A 14-speaker 5.1-channel Mark Levinson audio system features in the IS250 Sports Luxury.
In his spare time, Mr Fukusato sings and performs in Noh, the ancient Japanese musical theatre that originated in the 12th century. He also has a keen interest in Yabusame, the ancient Japanese art of archery on horseback.
Mr Fukusato earned an engineering degree from
Mr Fukusato’s daughter works at a design firm and wants to be one of the world’s first female automotive chief engineers.
Lexus IS Line nears 200,000 global sales
Global sales of the Lexus IS Line should surpass 200,000 by mid-2006.
In
Year-to-date September 2005, 9899 Australian deliveries have been recorded.
The highly successful IS200 was first launched in 1999 in
The IS300 was launched in
The IS Line accounted for just on 50 per cent of all Lexus sales in Australia for four consecutive years, and in 2000 it made up 59 per cent of Lexus deliveries.
It was only with the introduction of Lexus RX330 and new models of vehicles like GS300 that its contribution dropped to the current mix level of 28 per cent.
Lexus IS200 was also sold in
In August 2005
The production of the new IS Line is a major statement of capability by Lexus in
“In one respect this vehicle is as important a statement of capability as the original LS400,” Lexus Australia divisional manager Scott Grant said.
“Lexus came into being on the premise of being the world’s most completely specified luxury car at a price and value that set a new benchmark.
“It was hugely successful and sparked a re-evaluation by all traditional luxury car makers, which has resulted across the board in far better cars at far better prices.
“Now, to a degree, the new IS Line is offering the same challenge.
“Lexus has built a vehicle to its own very high standards – especially in terms of engineering and build quality, but also in respect of specification.
“There will be some automotive companies that will reverse-engineer IS to try to discover how a vehicle of this quality can be put to market at such a competitive price.
“Like IS, it is doubtful if they will fully be able to identify the levels of expertise that have created the car.
“The success of all purpose-built Lexus models lies in a philosophy of back-to-the-source technology in which cost is not built out of the car as much as quality is built in.
“The new IS250 Line is as well engineered and well manufactured as the LS flagship – without compromise.”
Lexus powers ahead of segment growth
Demand for Lexus in the prestige car segment has been well ahead of the growth of the sector.
Lexus is also one of the major performers in the pure luxury car market which is in slight decline.
Lexus deliveries in total this year are up 17.4 per cent and the marque is on track for a record year, well in excess of its 2004 record of 5009 new vehicles.
Demand for prestige cars – those beneath the luxury tax threshold – is up 12.3 per cent this year, and that for Lexus IS200 is up 16.2 per cent.
Demand for luxury cars has slipped slightly by 3.4 per cent, but demand for all but one Lexus model is up better than 20 per cent (from August to September 05).
Lexus IS300 and IS200 are running at a demand rate of better than 15 per cent increase on last year.
Lexus is a strong third in the luxury car market.
Its top performer is the new GS300/430 Line released at the start of 2005 and which is fielding demand five times that for the previous model.
Just under 500 of the new GS Line had been delivered by the end of August.
“Understandably IS200 is the top-selling Lexus passenger vehicle, behind the RX330 SUV,” Lexus Australia divisional manager Scott Grant said.
“It accounts for 22 per cent of all Lexus demand.
“Lexus IS200 and IS300 combined make up 28.3 per cent of the range.
“It’s anticipated IS250 will improve substantially on that ratio.”
Mr Grant said the rationalisation of ES300 had been necessary to ensure a logical progression from the three vehicles of the IS250 series to the GS300.
“In passenger vehicle terms, Lexus provides a very linear progression,” he said.
“Owners will appreciate the strategic progression – both in terms of model specification and also value addition.”
Mr Grant said the prestige and luxury segments had become critical.
“Just as in the broader market, there is a move to smaller and more efficient vehicles in terms of purchase price and operating cost,” he said.
“However, in the prestige and luxury segments, customers do not want to give up their specification luxuries or their prestige.
“That’s why they are in the market.”
There was evidence that the purchase choice was becoming more critical amongst buyers of flagship models.
Demand for the flagship models of the big three – Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus – have each declined this year but sales of other series by those car makers have remained strong.
“The luxury segment is also experiencing buyer reaction to external forces,” Mr Grant said.
“There is great opportunity for a new vehicle like IS250 to be able to capitalise on the trend.
“IS250 Sports Luxury – the IS flagship – is a particularly strong proposition in its specification/value ratio.”
New V6 changes performance parameters
Lexus IS250 has a 2.5-litre Quad Cam multi-valve direct-injection dual VVT-i V6 engine.
The all-alloy V6 is the first V-configuration engine offered in the IS range.
The Lexus 4GR-FSE D-4 (direct-injection, four-stroke gasoline) engine has 34 per cent more power and 29 per cent more torque than the 2.0-litre straight-six engine in IS200 it supersedes.
IS250’s V6 delivers 153kW of power at 6400rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4800rpm.
Its V-configuration engines contribute to the new IS design goal of further concentrating mass within the wheelbase.
The shorter length of the engine means its centre of mass can be placed closer to the rear of the engine bay.
The direct-injection petrol V6 IS250 combines improved performance engine with new levels of fuel efficiency.
It has official ADR81/01 fuel economy of 9.1 litres/100km for the automatic transmission models.
This compares to 9.9 litres/100km for superseded Lexus IS200 – an eight per cent improvement for the same number of cylinders and a 500cc capacity increase. IS250 six-speed manual has ADR 81/01 economy of 9.8 litres/100km compared to 9.9 litres/100km for the superseded IS200 manual model.
IS250 has 14.2 per cent better fuel economy than superseded IS300.
The new IS250 delivers this improvement in fuel economy while providing higher levels of performance, safety, comfort and feature levels as well as lower noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
The 2.5-litre V6 can be matched to a new six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with Lexus-first shift paddles on the steering wheel.
