Lexus 2015 sales boosted by NX and new RX models
For the first time in Malaysia, Lexus vehicle sales have topped Audi to be the third best-selling luxury car! Congratulations, Lexus!
This achievement is all the more deserved given tough conditions car manufacturers had to contend with in the Malaysian auto industry.
Firstly, the weakening Ringgit had an adverse impact on the prices of cars. Secondly, the roll out of GST in April 2015 added a further unwelcome burden onto already tight wallets. Together, these factors dampened consumer sentiments to an all-time low of 70.2 points in Q3 2015.
Cheapest to most expensive: In which country do you pay nearly 5 times the retail price for a Lexus RX 450h?
I'll be darned if this isn't a quick money making scheme. It turns out that prices for a Lexus isn't about the same wherever in the world you go: The variance is so huge that from one country to another, you could end up paying nearly 5 times the price for the same car. Which country am I talking about?
Previously, I did a price comparison for the Lexus NX 300h in 10 countries, and found out that if you live in Singapore, you have to fork out four times the asking price Canadians pay!
This time round, a price comparison was made for the Lexus RX 450h. This vehicle has been completely redesigned from the ground up for 2016. Replacing the smooth, flowy curves in the previous RX is an entirely new aesthetic flair chiselled from a metaphoric block of steel. The end result is a new vehicle determined to reinstate the Lexus RX's market dominance with angular sophistication and muscular boldness.
An Atkinson cycle 3.5-litre V6 gives the Lexus RX 450h its momentum. Mated to electric assist motors, regenerative brakes that recharges the vehicle's battery pack and an 8-speed automatic transmission, this mill produces 308 bhp and a 0-60mph time of 7.7 seconds.
So why the need to compare the prices for the Lexus RX 450h? Firstly, it is expected to be a huge seller for Lexus, especially in the American continent, so it's an important model to consider and understand from an economics point of view. And secondly, in the Lexus NX 300h price comparison article before, I didn't include the Middle East, where gasoline prices are about as cheap as they are Stateside; for this comparison, countries in the United Arab Emirates should be included. At the same time, prices in Asia, as we saw last time, could yield some interesting results - and I didn't want to omit those either. This time round, though, Singapore couldn't be included. The Lexus RX 450h isn't officially sold there, so for this price comparison exercise, Singapore sits it out.
Altogether, to accommodate the Middle Eastern countries whilst having to retain a similar basket of countries as before, the price comparison has now been extended from 10 to 12 countries. For these two reasons, we need a price comparison for the Lexus RX 450h.
The shocking truth: Sales of RX dropped compared to 2014!
I've always wondered how many units of each model Lexus sells in its biggest market, the USA. These figure are important because the North American market, with its unique tastes and preferences where vehicles are concerned, could determine the future direction of Lexus models. Lexus has a history of listening closely to its customers' feedback; what American buyers say therefore counts a lot.
Anyhow, these are the sales figures Lexus has recorded for the month of December 2015 and the whole of 2015:
For 2015, Lexus sold 344,601 units in its biggest market, North America.
Best-sellers, worst-sellers and all in between: Our Analysis of the numbers
Best
The star seller was of course, the Lexus NX which showed a 1390 per cent increase over 2014 (it was launched only in October 2014, so yeah, the bulk of the sales would be expected to chalk up in 2015).
Worst
Least competitive was the Lexus CT 200h. Compared to 2014, sales in 2015 dropped by 17.3 per cent. The CT 200h has been getting on a bit now, and with no revisions to the engine or interior, it's hard for the smallest hybrid in the entire Lexus range to hold its own against the competition. In a year's time, we can expect to see an all-new Lexus CT 200h, so that'll move the game forwards.
And all in between
First, let's look at the most interesting model to be launched last year. Of course, I'm referring to the all-new Lexus RX. Lexus sold 100,610 units in 2015, down 6.7 per cent compared to the previous year. How?? I guess because of the timing; the all-new Lexus RX appeared in showrooms in May 2015, quite late in the year - almost half the year gone. It hasn't had time to play catch-up yet. I'm sure in 2016, these figures will paint a very different picture. But we'll look into the sales of the RX from the eyes of Forbes in the next article.
Lexus's only coupe in the range, the RC chalked up a very respectable 14,784 units in 2015. Compared to the previous year, this marks a 666.7 per cent increase. I'd love to see as many units of the RC sold in Malaysia.
Hallmark models, the LS and and ES, didn't fare as well in 2015. Between them, sales fell 16.6 and 10.7 per cent respectively. The LS, I can sort of understand; this flagship although heavily refreshed in 2013, is beginning to look outdated since its initial launch in 2006. Mercedes S-Class and the all-new BMW 7 Series have reclaimed their positions at the top of the tier, showcasing new technology and sadly the Lexus LS is left far behind. We can expect an all-new Lexus LS in 2017.
For the life of me, I can't fathom why sales of the Lexus ES dropped last year. It received an alluring facelift, and more than 500 modifications last year. In Malaysia at least, this is the bread and butter model and sells by the bucketloads. Perhaps - and this is just speculation - Americans prefer their cars with huge engines (Asians and Europeans, the opposite) and the ES just doesn't come specified with even a V6. Maybe that's why it's losing appeal...
Overall, though, 2015 was a great year for Lexus. With 344,601 units sold, only 1,422 units separate Lexus from the biggest seller in North America, BMW (344,023 units), with Mercedes trailing Lexus by 1,513 units to claim the third spot (343,088 units).
Lexus USA seems to be very pleased with these results. "December closed out an all-time high, best-ever year with sales we couldn't have predicted" Jeff Bracken, Group Vice President and General Manager for the Lexus Division (pictured) concluded, "Lexus SUV sales momentum and the strength of our product line up has positioned us well for 2016."
"Next week in Detroit," Jeff added, "we will debut a Lexus that opens a new chapter for an even brighter future." Which Lexus is this? You can read about that here.
Cheers!
All Lexus
Cheapest to most expensive: In which country do you have to pay 4 times the normal price for a Lexus NX 300h?
Hey guys. Do you feel that we're paying more for our cars than people in other countries? Turns out the grass isn't greener on the other side. I embarked on a price comparison exercise for the Lexus NX 300h - a car that broke all the design rules for small SUVs - and did it just for fun.
The results are simply astonishing. You know, on some dim level I understood that import taxes, duties, protectionist policies play a big role in the final sticker price of a car when it hits the market, but honestly, I didn't think the price difference could be that huge between the cheapest and most expensive countries.
