Whilst 2023 will likely go down as a year to forget for a large portion of car brands in New Zealand, luxury carmaker Lexus will not be one of them.
For the second year in a row, Lexus New Zealand has reset its sales record. Having registered 1,023 new vehicles in 2022, a record at the time, the Japanese carmaker has now beaten that record – notching up 1,080 registrations between January and October.
With two more months to come, Lexus’ standout year is only set to get better. “Lexus is not only a symbol of luxury and innovation but are truly enjoyable vehicles to drive,” said Lexus New Zealand CEO Neeraj Lala.
“More and more New Zealanders are realising that Lexus not only offers a premium cabin and high performance, but also a route to decarbonisation and sustainability “We have built our brand in New Zealand by bringing in technological innovation when the market has required it. Equally, anyone who has driven in a Lexus will absolutely be impressed by the quality of the interior and attention to detail not seen in many other marques.”
It has been a significant year for Lexus in terms of local launches, having debuted its all-new RX SUV, an updated UX300e EV, and its first dedicated EV – the RZ 450e. Next on the horizon is the firm’s new compact SUV, the LBX.
Electrified vehicles play a significant role in Lexus’ sales, with 89% of local registrations this year being hybrids, PHEVs, or BEVs. Average tailpipe emissions across the Lexus line-up have come down this year, to 119g/km
Although Lexus is riding high, it still has some work to do to overtake German competitors Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz for popularity in New Zealand. To the end of September, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz had registered 1102, 1364, and 1198 new vehicles respectively (not including commercial vehicles).
Nevertheless, only BMW appears likely to join Lexus in posting improved sales figures in 2023, with Audi and Mercedes-Benz both trending downwards year-on-year.
Source: Stuff.co.nz
