Konichiwa from Japan! Part 1 pictures from Lexus Yokohamatotsuka showroom, courtesy of a reader in Japan.

Plus, the amazing Lexus model that will never appear on our shores... sob sob!

For those of you like me who love to browse around the Lexus showroom in KL (dreaming of the day you get the shiny new keys to your brand new car) and then, in the midst of wondering what a Lexus showroom in Japan looks like, boy do we have a treat for you. 

A reader from Japan recently sent me these awesome pictures of the Lexus Yokohamatotsuka showroom in Japan. The name itself implies the showroom is located in the Yokohama Prefecture, less than an hour south of Tokyo. 

Having visited a few Lexus showrooms here myself, but never one in Japan - the home country of Lexus, I'm very grateful for the chance to see how things are done differently in the Land of the Rising Sun.

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What does luxury look like from inside? Interiors of the entire Lexus line up compared

When luxury comes as standard, the only thing left to ask is, which model would you choose?

When a name confers an image, evokes a meaning or creates a perception, the associative imagery demonstrates the power of the company's branding. Companies work very hard to pursue a singular brand identity because the human brain can only create, retain and recall one meaning at a time. The stronger the recollection of that meaning, the more successful that brand has been at creating consumer awareness. 

In the cluster of Australasian countries, Lexus has kept to just one branding statement. You'll find it on billboards, advertisement insertions and even on the back of the business cards handed out by the sales consultants. The statement reads: Only Lexus promises the true luxury.

True to their word, every Lexus since the inaugural and iconic LS 400 of 1989 has lived up to the promise of peerless luxury. Every Lexus cabin is a silent chamber on wheels, affording occupants unequalled isolation from the world outside. And every Lexus brims with technology which operates quietly in the background, but works to an astonishing degree of intelligence to keep you safe at all speeds the vehicle is driven at. 

What can you expect when you step inside the cabin of a Lexus? That's what I decided to find out. What follows next is an invitation into the cabin of every Lexus from the base line CT to the top of the line LS.

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2017 heralds the launch of the all-new Lexus CT 200h

Replacement for Lexus baby hybrid will be cleaner, more spacious, and may ditch hatchback for mini MPV proportions

If this widely-circulated image is to be believed, you're looking at the all-new 2017 Lexus CT 200h. It may be just a rendition, but now, compare that with these spy shots of the replacement baby Lexus hybrid seen testing on UK roads, and there could be truth to what the above rendition illustrates (pictures sourced from Autowereld):

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How about a second-hand Lexus CT 200h at just RM100,000?

5 year old Lexus CT 200h is suddenly an amazing proposition

As my readers know, I was at the Lexus KL showroom on Jalan Sultan Ismail on Saturday. Among the ES 250, NX 300h and RX 200t on display, there was one curious omission: the CT 200h. 



I could quite understand why the larger LX 570, freshly facelifted for 2016, wasn't there: firstly, it's a low-volume model and secondly, with the Lexus KL showroom occupying a small area within the prime city centre commercial zone, only models that can sell faster can justify their showroom footprint. 

That led me to think about the Lexus CT 200h. Why isn't this in the showroom? 

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What's the best Lexus I can get for RM90,000?

First-time buyer seeks entry-level Lexus

Two days ago, All Lexus received an email from a young reader asking for advice. 

Dear All Lexus,

I am a 27 year old junior professional currently looking to upgrade my car. I just got a small raise and am willing to pay about RM90,000 for my next set of wheels. I know I can get a new VW Polo or Honda Jazz but I've always liked Lexus because I've heard they are easy to maintain and I'm thinking of trying out a Lexus for the first time. For this budget is it:

(a) Possible to get started on a Lexus (considering it will be a second-hand model at this price)? - If so, which model would you recommend?

(b) Will repair bills be high?

(c) How good/bad is the fuel consumption?

Thanks,

Lexus Newbie   

Dear Lexus Newbie,

Firstly, congratulations on getting a small raise. You've made the right choice to consider a second-hand Lexus over a brand new Japanese car or a mass-produced German car. Admittedly, this is a restrictive budget but you'll be surprised how much you can get at this price bracket. To answer your questions:

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