AIMS: Lexus recovery starts here

After a forgettable sales month in September, Lexus shocked the
luxury car market at the Sydney motor show today by announcing a new
performance V6 that undercuts the German opposition by between $20,000
and $30,000.

Indeed, all three models in the new IS350 sedan range limbo under the
starting price of the nearest competitor – and outgun the performance
six-cylinder Germans in the 0-100km/h dash. Starting at $64,800, the
IS350 Prestige is only $8000 dearer than a regular IS250 model and comes
with navigation, leather upholstery, metallic paint, Bluetooth phone
connection and 17-inch alloy wheels. An F-Sport edition with 18-inch
charcoal wheels and carbon-fibre interior and other enhancements brings
the price to $71,800 while the top of the IS350 range is $81,300.

The nearest German rival, the Audi A4 3.2 V6 is $88,000, the Mercedes-Benz C300 is $90,000 and the BMW 335i $110,000.

Although the BMW is turbocharged and has more torque, the IS350 has
more power and is faster from 0-100km/h with a time of 5.6 seconds.

Lexus Australia Tony Cramb says IS350 and the F-Sport sub-brand are important steps for Lexus Australia.

"We're extremely happy to be able to get the IS350 here at this
price," said Cramb. "We've been working hard for a long time to get the
car here at the price we've achieved and we think this will really give
the IS another boost.

"F-Sport adds another dimension to our
brand. Australian buyers are interested in sportier versions of our cars
and this will help bring younger buyers to the brand."

Lexus had a tough month in September, with sales down 38 per cent in a
market that was up 9 per cent. In particular, IS250 sales took a hit --
down 40 per cent – although year to date IS250 sales are tracking with
the industry, up 15 per cent.

"We're confident this is the type of car that will put Lexus on the
shopping list for a lot of performance prestige customers," he said.
"This car basically plugs the gap between the IS250 and our flagship
model, the IS-F."

For our full coverage of the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney visit our minisite at carsales.com.au/aims

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