Lexus Records One Million Sales in Europe

Lexus has reached the milestone of one million vehicle sales in Europe, the cumulative total breaking through seven figures in September. It is a timely achievement, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Lexus’ launch in Europe.

It also coincides with the start of a new era in the brand’s history with the introduction of the UX 300e, its first battery electric vehicle, to selected European markets.

In 1990, just a few months after the brand’s global debut in the US, Lexus started in Europe with a single model, the LS 400, and amassed 1,158 sales. It may have been a modest beginning, but it signaled the start of a transformation of the premium car market with the LS redefining what a luxury car should be in terms of performance, efficiency and advanced equipment features.

At the same time, Lexus introduced a new approach to customer care and service that has constantly set the standards for the international auto industry. Following the traditional Japanese principles of omotenashi – treating a customer with same care and courtesy as a guest in your home – Lexus has kept service excellence at the heart of its brand.

From the outset, Lexus has charted its own course rather than follow the established norms of the market, not least in taking leadership in the development of self-charging hybrid electric power. It introduced the world’s first luxury hybrid vehicle, the RX 400h SUV, in 2005, and has since continued to develop the technology to achieve even greater performance, fuel and emissions efficiency and driver rewards. Of the one million Lexus vehicles put on the road in Europe, not less than 45% were hybrids. Today, hybrids feature across the Lexus model range, with sales increasing steadily – currently accounting for 96% of the total in Western European markets.

Lexus has also closely followed the changing needs and preferences of customers, developing new models that are well in tune with market trends. This has brought a focus on SUV crossover models, of which Lexus already sold 550 thousand units in Europe. Today the line-up features the RX, the model which effectively originated the luxury SUV market, the purpose-designed seven-seat RX L; the mid-size NX; and, launched in 2019, the compact UX urban crossover, which has quickly become the brand’s best-seller in Europe. In Russia and other Eastern markets, Lexus also sells the full-size LX and the rugged GX models. Together, these models represent today more than 80% of Lexus sales in Europe.

The importance of driver rewards has not been neglected, witnessed in a series of performance-focused models bearing the Lexus “F” designation, including the hand-built, ultra-exclusive LFA V10 supercar and the RC F coupe, which today competes in international GT racing. The spirit of these special models feeds directly into the standard model ranges in the form of the sports-styled and engineered F SPORT versions.

Lexus has also evolved as a luxury brand beyond the automotive world, promoting excellence in craftsmanship, supporting exciting emerging design talent through the international Lexus Design Award, and helping its customers discover and enjoy amazing experiences.