Bookings from November this year; Deliveries by March 2017.
Toyota-owned luxury brand Lexus is enter Indian market with 3 models next years, with the company's first exclusive showroom to open in Mumbai shortly for pre-launch operations. The Autocar India reports that the brand's debut line-up will include two SUVs - RX450h hybrid and LX450d / LX 570 (based on Toyota Land Cruiser), and the ES300h hybrid sedan based on Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Lexus will ship all the three cars from Japan via CBU route initially, while simultaneously investing for local assembling at Toyota's Bidadi facility on the outskirts of Bengaluru. All the three cars are reported to be Japanese-spec fully-loaded variants, although the initial batch of cars may miss navigation system owing to configuration hick-ups to Indian maps.
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# Lexus LX Range (LX450d/ LX570) - around INR 1.5 Crore
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| Lexus RX range in India is likely to come with 5.7L V8 petrol and 4.5L V8 diesel engines |
Let's begin with the flag-ship Lexus LX full-size SUV, built on the Land Cruiser platform. The third-generation car has received a mid-cycle facelift in August 2015 with all-new interiors and refreshed exteriors. Globally, the LX range includes top-end LX570 petrol with a 5.7-litre V8 engine rated at 383 hp and 546Nm of torque, and the diesel-run LX450d featuring a 4.5-litre V8 twin-turbo unit generating 269 hp and 650Nm of peak torque. Once launched, the LX will take on the its product-twin Land Cruiser, LR Range Rover, Audi Q7, BMW X5, and the Mercedes GLS.
# Lexus ES300h - around INR 50 Lakhs
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| Lexus ES Hybrid will share its mechanicals with the Camry Hybrid |
This entry-level model for the brand in India is based on the Camry Hybrid, and will also come in Hybrid avatar only. Expect the same 2.5-litre petrol engine assisted by an electric motor as the Camry Hybrid. This car is likely to go into local assembly first, as its parent car is already in the assembly line in India. It will also receive union government's FAME subsidy owing to its hybrid character. One launched, the ES hybrid will take on the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid.
# Lexus RX450h - around INR 60 Lakhs
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| Lexus RX450h will be a hybrid premium crossover |
This mid-size luxury crossover is in its fourth generation since 2015 with a catchy 'floating roof' and 'spindle grille' design. Built on Toyota's 'K' platform as the Camry sedan, the RX will also be offered in hybrid guise - a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine coupled with an electric motor (shared with 2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid), along with a 8-speed e-CVT gearbox. With a slightly higher price tag, the RX450h will compete against the likes of Audi Q5, BMW X3, Range Rover Evoque, Mercedes GLE, and LR Discovery Sport.