Lexus entry in early-2017; bookings start from november

NEW DELHI : Lexus will officially enter India in early 2017, beginning with a dealership in Mumbai, where the Toyota sub-brand will start accepting bookings. Deliveries will commence from March 2017, while bookings will begin in November.

Lexus will enter India with the RX450h crossover, ES300h sedan and the LX450d SUV. The brand will also set up an experience center called the Lexus Boutique at the Taj Santacruz Hotel near the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

All the three models will be launched at the same time and all of them will take the CBU route initially. They will then be assembled in India after the Toyota ignites its assembly line in India.

The three models will be sold as Japanese-spec models, while hybrid models are also likely on the cards. The ES300h sedan will come with a hybrid powertrain, whose underpinnings will be shared with the Toyota Camry.

As an entry-level luxury sedan, it will be priced around Rs. 50 lakh. The luxury sedan will be powered by a 2.5-litre petrol motor along with an electric motor. They will come mated with a CVT. BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Audi A4 will be its rivals. Also as a hybrid, the ES300h sedan will get subsidized by the Government under the FAME initiative, after it begins getting assembled in India.

The RX450h will pack more power with a large 3.5-litre V6 petrol mill, which will also come with a hybrid technology, making an impressive 308 hp. It will then be transferred to the wheels via an e-CVT automatic. The Crossover SUV will rival the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5.

Similar to the Land Cruiser, the Lexus LX570 will pack the most power with a mammoth 5.7-litre V8 engine that will deliver 383 hp of power and 546 Nm of torque, while the LX450d will be diesel-powered with a twin-turbo, 4.5-litre V8 motor making 269 hp of power and 650 Nm of torque.

Expect the LX570 and the LX450d to price around Rs. 1.5 crore, taking on the Range Rover, Audi Q7 and the Mercedes-Benz GL. 

Source : vicky.in