Lexus LF Reviews

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the Lexus CT200h, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Lexus Australia chief Sean Hanley says that the customer experience provided by Lexus is one of the Japanese company's biggest points of difference against its luxury rivals.Having been at the helm of Lexus for just over 14 months, it signals a subtle shift in the way Toyota's luxury brand is selling into the Australian market, supported by a flow of new and updated product.Speaking to Carsguide at the launch of the new CT200h, Hanley told us he believes that the company is the best-placed luxury brand in the country to mount a massive sales effort and win plenty of new customers as a result.But, he says, Lexus is not interested. "There's no-one better credentialled in Australia to run a retail volume campaign with Lexus if we wanted to, given our parent company (Toyota). If volume was all we wanted, we could activate a campaign tomorrow. But we don't."We believe very clearly that in the future, luxury customers will want a point of difference. That point of difference will come in many and varied ways. You have to have a good exciting product, that stands to reason. You've got to have a brand that provides the level of recognition that the consumer expects."More important than anything, you have to provide service and an experience from the time they look your car up to the time they dispose of your car. It's got to be exceptional. We believe we've got the customer experience pretty right. You can check whatever stats you like, independent or otherwise, we've got that right.""We launched with one car twenty-four years ago and service was our point of difference. You combine that with the kind of design that Lexus is bringing to market. Distinct, exciting styling. And, over time, it is our intention to broaden our offering across the luxury market."Hanley is referring to one part of the market, specifically the compact SUV dominated by Audi's Q3. The NX concept is a pointer to that, but Lexus insists it's not yet a production goer. Another product, the RC Coupe, is further evidence of that intention. "Our belief is, don't sell your soul -- the soul of what luxury stands for -- to get quick sales today."Hanley believes Lexus needs to remain exclusive enough that buyers, especially young buyers, feel that their choice is unique. "Whilst consumerism is on the rise, if our kids become successful, they will want a point of difference. And that point of difference in the age of technology and social media and whatever else is available in their time, will be the experience they get from that product."The uniqueness, the recognition and how they feel. If you sell yoru soul now and believe that luxury is at the front end and not for the lifecycle of the customer, then I think that's a strategy that is fraught with danger. Good luck to the rest, if that's what they want to do. It's just not what Lexus wants to do." 

It's big and classy and surprisingly affordable for a luxury sedan. What's more the Lexus ES300h uses hardly any fuel, because it's a hybrid with a petrol-electric drivetrain. So where's the catch?  We thought we'd better have a closer look, which we will be doing over the next few weeks.Priced from $63,000, the Lexus ES returns to the market after a long absence in two flavours, V6 and a hybrid. It's also available in two trim levels: Luxury and Sports Luxury. It's the first time Lexus has offered hybrid as its entry level model.But looking at the fine print it misses out on some safety features standard on the V6 that have been bundled into an add-on pack for another $3000. Standard features include leather-accented interior, dual climate air, satellite navigation, reversing camera, parking sensors, blind spot monitor, sun roof, 10 airbags, eight-speaker audio, smart entry and start, digital radio, plus Lexus Remote Touch and Drive Mode Select. The V6 is $64,000, the Sports Luxury version of the hybrid $72,000 and the top of the line Sports Luxury V6 tips the scales at $74,000.The hybrid powertrain combines a 2.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine with a 105kW electric motor, to deliver a combined output of 151kW to the front wheels. Unlike the V6 it employs a CVT style transmission and sprints from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds. Fuel consumption is rated at just 5.5 litres/100km with standard unleaded.Although no longer clone of the Camry, the ES does share a platform with the US Avalon (or the Avalon shares a platform with it depending on your perspective). It's been described as a baby version of the $190K flagship LS but there's nothing tiny about the amount of room in the back, with more than a metre of rear legroom.It's designed to score five stars and scores highly in US tests but is yet to receive a rating here. With 10 airbags and a multitude of safety systems, however, there's little cause for concern.With oodles of rear legroom and a decent sized boot we can see the ES appealing to the hire car guys. It's also going to attract those looking for something a bit special but who are watching their pennies. The ES offers a smooth ride and cossetted interior, that's quiet enough to make conversation easy between front and rear seat passengers.After driving both versions of the car the hybrid is definitely the pick, with its hi-tech features and better fuel economy. Performance is good and the drive select knob sharpens the throttle response for those wanting a bit extra.We're looking forward to seeing over time what a large car like this can offer in terms of fuel economy with its hybrid powertrain. 

Lexus is swiftly shedding its beige cardigan image thanks to a range of recently launched stylish and sporty models. And the new wardrobe gains another addition with the Japanese carmaker’s newest variant, the RC 350 F Sport coupe set to be unveiled at Geneva motor show this week.A host of visual and mechanical changes over the standard RC – shown at the Tokyo motor show last November - aim to give the coupe a sporting edge to help it face off against key rivals like the BMW 4-Series.Powered by Lexus’ familiar 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6, the RC 350 F Sport sends 234kW of power and 380Nm of torque to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox with shift paddles as standard.The F Sport is fitted as standard with Adaptive Variable Suspension which uses magnetically controlled dampers to adjust suspension stiffness, allowing for a more compliant ride on broken tarmac or a more sporting feel in the corners.The system can be controlled by the car’s computerized brain automatically after it monitors the road surface and the RC’s body movement -- or the driver can select between Sport and Comfort modes independently.Sport mode also increases the weight of the steering while sharpening throttle and gearshift responses. And in this mode the LFA supercar-inspired digital instrument display changes shape and appearance, adding some visual drama to the driving experience.A rear-wheel-steering system is also adopted by the F Sport to aid turn in response, rear wheel traction, and agility. Computers monitor vehicle speed, steering angle, and lateral forces and can then cleverly turn the rear wheels by up to two degrees. Like Porsche’s new 911 GT3, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front ones at low speed, making the car feel more responsive, and at high speed the rears turn in the same direction as the fronts to aid stability.But all of its mechanical wizardry aside, the reason most buyers will be tempted by the F Sport over the standard coupe is likely to be the design and styling, with the F Sport visual upgrades sitting well on the  RC.The vast Lexus spindle grille now features F-specific mesh, front and rear bumpers are more aggressive, and 19-inch wheels with contrasting silver and black spokes are standard.Inside, the new model boasts an F-Sport steering wheel, metallic pedals and a premium gearshift lever.The new RC 350 F Sport will debut alongside its V8-powered, range-topping sibling, the RC F, at the show overnight tonight. 

Lexus is giving the RC F its most powerful V8 yet -- a 5.0-litre engine with "more than" 335kW of power and 520Nm of torque. And the Toyota luxury brand has just showcased the car in an equally high-powered campaign linked to the 2014 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.It's not the first time Lexus has decided a bikini is the way to promote a car, with three previous years of tie-in with the best-known Sports Illustrated edition. The LFA kicked it off in 2011, with drift champion Rhys Millen sliding the car around an aircraft hangar with Dutch supermodel Rianne Ten Haken as a human traffic cone.For the latest edition it's equally well-known face Natasha Bernard, but she's not asked to perform any drift marker duties. Instead we're told how the massive torque styles her hair, and the exhaust note styles her goose bumps.The print component of the campaign uses mobile device scanning technology to channel the reader to digital platforms containing interactive information about the RC F.Launching next week with the SI edition, it's expected the digital execution will highlight the technology behind the RC F, particularly the engine's ability to switch between Atkinson and Otto cycles and the what the brand claims as the world's first front-engine, rear wheel drive torque-vectoring differential - which is said to work differently to the brake-based system on the latest HSV GTS and other vehicles.The RC F has undergone a great deal of its development process on the Nurburgring, but we're still waiting for Lexus to reveal the official lap time. Hopefully one that's also guaranteed to style a few goose bumps for prospective buyers.

Lexus has launched the third generation of its IS sedan range and has gone way out in styling.

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The future Lexus NX crossover has been leaked in a video filmed during the recent Detroit motor show. The footage of Toyota's US chief executive Jim Lentz was ostensibly focused on his view of the industry's -- and his brand's -- future, but may have shown more than he intended.First spotted by Autoblog, the presentation included a slide showing an SUV labelled as the LF-NX, but looking considerably different to the concept that wore the name at the Tokyo motor show in November.The aggressive styling of the concept has been calmed down, with a less imposing iteration of the spindle grille and smoother bumper treatment, offset with headlights that echo the new Lexus IS and RC models -- all signalling we're looking at the production version of the new RAV4-based SUV, and could see it unveiled as soon as Geneva motor show in March.It will likely go on sale in overseas markets afteer mid-year, and if secured by Lexus Australia could arrive here in the final quarter of 2014.The Tokyo show car was powered by an all-new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine -- tipped to appear in a NX200t variant in production. Expect it to be joined by a NX300h hybrid, with a new version of the Lexus Hybrid Drive system, with other versions also on the cards to face off against the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA Class.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Lexus GS300 is an upmarket Japanese sedan with a fair bit of sportiness in its makeup.

Lexus is no longer the geeky new kid in the fiercely fought sub-luxury car fight.