SYDNEY CITY LEXUS INSIGHT
HYBRID PLUS REDEFINING ENERGY DELIVERY
The showrooms of Sydney City Lexus are making a major statement: we are revealing the future of motoring.
And, in the face of some car makers that seem intent on force-feeding the market with technologies people may haven’t requested, we’re offering our customers total flexibility in the way they use our solutions.
Our two flagship SUV models – RX and NX are now standing proudly side by side as 450h+ variants.
The + is the determinant.
It stands for Plug in Hybrid – and that, to us, defines the future of automotive energy delivery allied with community consciousness.
The NX 450h+which has just arrived, confirms Lexus’ absolute commitment to a market in which the choice of motive power is returned to the customer. While confusion swirls over the efficacy of power delivery – petrol or electricity - and obfuscation reigns over the potential for net zero emissions, a simple +, delivered by Lexus, takes a determined stance.
With this one + you can choose to adopt net zero as your daily driving preference, while simultaneously
opting for the security of longer distance motoring in a conventional, yet contemporary manner.
Lexus Hybrid Plus (h+) is for the foreseeable future the perfect solution.
For someone swayed by the ecological advantages of electric power, h+ provides the solution without the range anxiety.
It is quite feasible that around town, you will never trouble your internal combustion engine to come to life.
And when, on a longer journey, it awakens to save you the inconvenience of an extended recharging break, it will deliver levels of emissions and economy that happily redefine your expectations.
It delivers, simply, the best of both technologies.
The RX450+ was our forerunner – the first Lexus to properly introduce the protocol. The new NX450h+ confirms our resolve.
For the foreseeable future, h+ is the best solution to meet the needs of our customers, legislators, and the environment alike.
HYBRID PLUS REDEFINING ENERGY DELIVERY
IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (OR WHENEVER IT SUITS)
When it comes to electric cars, people speak of range anxiety, but equally, we find they’re concerned about time lost at the ‘electric bowser’.
How often have you filled your petrol car with 500km range of energy in less than five minutes while you’ve watched a person in their electric car sit impatiently at their pump, whiling away the time, to top up with far less range. Half an hour later...
That’s the joy of Lexus h+.
Overnight, or at any time to suit you, Lexus’ AC charger, connected to a convenient power point, will replenish you from empty.
It can take a lazy 7.5 hours with house power, about the same as most people’s sleep cycle.
Or it can be compacted to around two and a half hours with a fast charger. We offer them to our customers and advise on their use.
On the road, the same energy harvesting regenerative system that tops up a conventional hybrid system works its magic on the h+ technology as well – so it’s in a state of constant renewal.
(Energy harvesting is all about capturing heat generated in normal driving functions like braking; instead of letting it dissipate into the atmosphere, it’s returned to the on-board battery for use as motive power).
Cost is a factor of which our customers speak very positively about.
There are people who chase petrol bargains: a cent/litre off here and there. Now we’re hearing of people who chose to recharge off-peak, taking advantage of rates offered by electricity providers.
Well, why not?
HOW FAR CAN YOU GO
Range is the imponderable question. At least in absolute specifics. Just like in a petrol car, how far you go depends on how you drive.
In tests, the Lexus NX450h+ claims 87km of exclusive electric range, enough for most owners’ daily requirements.
But it’s up to each individual.
The 450h+ range pairs a 2.5 litre internal combustion engine to two permanent synchronous electric motors paired with an 18.1kWh battery, providing a potent 227kW of combined power.
It’s a formidable power train, and there’s a temptation to use it. Acceleration is a lot more than “brisk”. Lexus quotes 0-100kmh in just 6.3seconds for the NX450h+ Luxury.
The choice, as it always will be, is yours.
IT’S BEEN OUR PLEASURE HAPPY HOLIDAY!
BY JOHN ROCA, DEALER PRINCIPAL
People ask why I support Manly Rugby League.
Given my allegiances south of the Harbour Bridge, it seems an unusual dedication, and yet I’m rusted on to the Sea Eagles. Here’s why.
In 1972, my family was living in the Villawood Migrant Hostel, now known as the Detention Centre. We’d just arrived from Spain, spoke no English, and for me, aged six, it was scary.
But two young guys came out to give us kids a taste of Aussie Sport, and they gifted me a Sea Eagles jersey –my size. Until I grew out of it, it never left my back.
That act of kindness took away the fear. It bonded me not just to Manly, but to Australia, and to the ethos of giving. For me, it’s the Aussie way.
That’s why Sydney City Toyota and Lexus spend what some would call an inordinate amount of time and energy supporting causes – especially those in our own community.
I don’t regard it as excessive at all. I’d do more if we could. It’s all personal. We’re all touched by a need, maybe even an obligation, to help out.
We support the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Girls and Boys Brigade, Vinnies Vans, the Mark Hughes Foundation, Souths Junior Foundation and the Good Blokes Society.
We give of our time as well as money. Across our two dealerships, we employ more than 250 people and, I’m proud to say, better than a quarter freely volunteer to assist on projects like staffing Vinnies food vans,
sometimes in the pre-dawn. One way or another, everyone is aware of our commitment, and everyone participates.
Some businesses allocate a certain quota of funds to charitable activity. I’ve never been able to view community support that way. To me, if a cause is worthy, and we can do something to help, then it warrants consideration.
I guess we’re approached at least once a week.
Next year we’re going to embark on our own not for profit organisation.
My dad is a survivor of Stage 4 Melanoma.
Groundbreaking work by the Melanoma Institute of Australia (MIA) saved his life. That’s when I learned that Australia has the highest melanoma rate in the world –16,000 people a year.
I make no bones of it. Because of Dad, it seems only right that we should give back.
Along with a partner, we’re working on a unique plan which will help beachgoers and raise funds for the MIA.
More of that in 2026.
Right now, it remains simply to thank everyone in our network, our customers, our team members, our business associates and our friends for your support in 2025.
We wish you and your families well for the holiday season and look forward, collectively, to next year with optimism.
Happy Holidays
John Roca, Dealer Principal
A LOT MORE THAN RACING
“The Lexus Melbourne Cup is more than a famous horse race. It’s a celebration of Australian culture.”
Those were the words of our dealer principal John Roca when he welcomed more than 200 guests to the opening of this season’s Spring Racing Carnival at Doltone House in Sydney.
Along with GP1 Championship-winning jockey James McDonald, John had the privilege of displaying the actual Cup to true enthusiasts who’d come to see it, almost like a shrine.
It’s difficult to contemplate an event more ingrained in our culture. The Cup’s history is 164 years old- and its tradition, to a degree, defines our nation.
Whether it’s the race that “stops the nation’ is subject to current debate. Times change. But we think it’s up there in the pantheon of things Australians revere.
We’re helping it stay contemporary.
Lexus has supported the Melbourne Cup for 25 years. This year, we unveiled a reimagined LANDMARK by Lexus pavilion at the Carnival under the theme of ‘synthesis’.
We merged tradition with future technology –displaying not only our newest vehicles, but also creating the opportunity for artisans from culinary, design, entertainment and lifestyle fields to showcase their view of the future.
Our pavilion became far more than a place to watch the racing. It lifted our contribution to the Carnival to a new level. And in doing so, it provided an opportunity for renewal.
Sydney City Lexus’s much-anticipated new luxury ES model introduction in the New Year has brought on a rush of spirited enquiry from fans of sedans.
Our customers appreciate the volumetric efficiency of our SUVs. But there’s a group of people who appreciate the timeless elegance of a sedan.
They’re the ones who’ve retained their current ES (and IS) models in eager anticipation of Lexus fulfilling their stepup to another sleek, four-door touring car with immense street appeal. And it's soon to be here in striking style.
The ES has been designed as a “spindle car”. The design cues flow down and over the ES in all-enveloping luxury.
We previewed the ES to acclaim at the Lexus Melbourne Cup, and in prototype form it’s been praised at global motor shows, including the recent highly prestigious Tokyo Mobility Show.
For a 2026 car, it sets new contemporary standards in luxury, refinement and accessibility.
Lexus specifically designed it on the same platform as its NX and RX SUVs so it could offer the same degree of flexibility in drive train and capacity.
Simply, however, it retains what stylists refer to as a threebox design – an engine up front, a passenger compartment and voluminous boot space – just as cars used to be.
It’s the application of those three segmentations that makes the new ES range so special.
It’s a masterpiece of design and function, providing space, luxurious comfort, enhancement and technological advancement that’s next level.
We’re truly proud Lexus has taken this step.
It would, perhaps, have been all too easy to step away from a design format that has delighted motorists for generations.
Instead, Lexus has brought it up to date - to the delight of all.
A BETTER WAY OF DRIVING
Dr Cody Hanish is one of our country’s most prominent chiropractors and a practitioner of holistic wellness.
He could also lay claim to being one of the best judges of the value of a car seat to our long-term health.
It’s his belief that three chairs do the most damage to our posture and our wellbeing – the one we sit in at home, the office and importantly, the one in our car.
Cody is about to become the proud owner of his first Lexus – a GX550 – and one of the reasons he’s doing so is because we’ve passed his seat test.
“Poor posture and the conditions it can cause are a combination of a multitude of factors," he told us. “And car seats are right up there.” He treats a small number of patients a week with conditions he rates as car-seat related.
“There are some cars I simply wouldn’t consider because of their ergonomics," he said.
“My expectation of the GX550 is that it will have
different dynamics from the firm ride I’ve had but will give me more support in important areas.”
Cody, an on-line health care influencer, runs Combined Clinics in Darlinghurst.
Our discussions with him have been, to say the least, illuminating. Lower back and shoulder pain are down to car seating position, he says, not necessarily the fault of the car but of occupant posture.
His golden rules include:
1. Never sit with your knees higher than your hip: “I had a sports car like that, and it was punishing.”
2. Adopt a neutral position with your elbows close to your sides. “Bring the steering wheel closer to you, don’t go to it.”
3. Remove pressure points from your seating position. “Don’t sit on your wallet. It just means you have too much money.”
Cody advises his patients to sit for maximum half-hour stints. “I know conventional wisdom is a break every two hours in a car, but it’s too long," he says. “The more you sit, the more it compresses your spine. That causes inflammatory conditions and induces degenerative changes.”
It's our exceptional pleasure to welcome rugby league legend and wellness expert Anthony Minichielio as an exclusive ambassador of Sydney City Lexus.
Lexus devotee on Sunday, 5 October 2014, the day of the NRL Grand Final.
“My team (Mini played his whole career for the Roosters) was knocked out by the Rabbitohs in the semi-finals.
I was pretty down, but I thought I may as well go to the grand final for a few beers, “he said.
“I found myself seated alongside Sean Hanley, boss of Lexus (he took over from our own John Roca), and Sean made sure I left the ground that night with the promise of a new Lexus and an ambassador role with the company.
“I needed that. The Rabbitohs thrashed the Bulldogs. It would have been pretty unbearable, if not for Lexus.”
After eleven years, and at least 20 Lexus’s, Mini has now joined Sydney City Lexus exclusively.
He’ll be curating special mind and body classes for us
and proudly representing us in our prime market area, where the Roosters still rule.
His latest Lexus is the RX450h+, and while he’s loving its frugal use of energy, it’s his 12-year-old daughter, Azura, who’s getting the most fun from its palette of onboard lighting features.
“Her latest choice is fluoro pink," he says. “Along with the stereo playlist, which is also her domain, it makes for interesting drives.”
Click on the link to see Mini out and about: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lreoJi3zlo&t=15s
CHRISTMAS AS YOU’VE NEVER KNOWN IT
WARM HAM,
PICKLED CHERRY & SUMMER PEACH SALAD
SERVES 4
Pickled cherries & Peaches:
3 teasp brown sugar
3 teasp balsamic vinegar
1 teasp peeled, grated ginger
50g cherries
1 large whole peach
Sea Salt
Cracked pepper
Peel peach and slice, de-stone cherries, and break in half, place in stainless bowl, sprinkle with brown sugar and balsamic, salt & pepper. Simply macerate for about one hour.
Salad:
8 large slices cooked ham
8 spears peeled asparagus spears
12 halved cherry tomatoes
A little olive oil for pan-frying
80g baby rocket or mixed mesclun leaves
80g good quality fetta
½ tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted
Pan fry the sliced ham in a little olive oil until just browning. Place on absorbent paper. Add asparagus and pan fry lightly until just cooked. Also place on absorbent paper. Do same with cherry tomatoes. Keep warm.
Wash rocket and other mesclun leaves and arrange on plates or bowls. Arrange the asparagus, tomatoes, feta and almonds on top and, then arrange the slices of ham. Sprinkle the sliced peaches and cherries over top.
Drizzle over warm dressing (see below).
Dressing:
Pickled cherry liquid
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teasp French mustard
In the pan used to pan fry the ham & asparagus, strain the juice from the peaches and cherries and bring to boil. Simmer until halved in quantity. Take off heat and whisk in mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Season and drizzle over the salad.
WILBURY’S IS ALL AT SEA
Wilbury, our much-travelled charity-fundraising Bear, has gone AWOL.
He was last seen at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in late November, looking for a ride to Hobart in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart yacht race.
We took Wilbury to the annual SOLAS Rotary Regatta on Sydney Harbour, where the big boats and their crews raise money for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation and for SOLAS (Save Our Lives at Sea), benefitting families who’ve lost loved ones at sea.
Wilbury was an instant hit, so much so that, although his charity work had almost come to an end, he was seized on by the CYCA for one last gig.
We believe he’s in the clubhouse on New Beach Road, Darling Point. But the call of the sea might be too great. Wilbury, brought into our Sydney City Lexus fold by John Roca at the beginning of the year, has been indefatigable in his charity work.
He’s been adopted by nine organisations so far, ranging from an upmarket restaurant in Kings Cross to golf and football clubs, and even a leading PR agency.
As of today, he has raised exactly $13,313 with the full amount donated purely to the Sydney Children's Hospital
Thank you to everyone who’s caught the spirit and participated. It's been fun.
The question is: what’s next? Will we rest him, bring him back, or find an entirely new device to continue our novel fundraising endeavours? All will be revealed in the New Year.
If you would like to donate, please go to: sydneycity.co/SCHFDonate
A HAPPY HOLIDAY OFFER
Sydney City Lexus is offering its guests a special wheel alignment, tyre rotation and tyre pressure check for this holiday period – with a complimentary exterior wash, all for just $145. It’s part of our contribution to your wellbeing and to road safety.
“There are guests’ cars which spend their time in the city and suburbs only to see the open road at holiday time, “Con Hatzivasiliou, our general manager service said.
“It’s important, for safety and for enjoyment of your car, to be prepared.”
A wheel alignment and balance can make the difference between driving satisfaction and feeling just a bit ‘off’. “It’s not necessarily dangerous," Con said. “But it can create fatigue over a distance, and there’s no point in enduring it.”
Our team at Glebe and Waterloo are on standby for the December holiday period.
“Our advice is to get your car service done at least a couple of days before you travel," Con said.
“It’s the little things that count. Just cleaning your windscreen wipers of road grime accumulated over the year can make a huge difference if you get caught in rain. You don’t need us for that, but it’s a tip we offer.”
Con is an inveterate traveller and a savvy packer of car boots.
“I was driving a client’s car recently when I went to check the spare tyre and jack - only to find it covered with what I’d describe as an accumulation of boot waste – stuff that would have been better elsewhere.
“To get to the essential tools, you had to dig deep, made even harder if there were suitcases on top. Pack wisely, and if you have a hiccup on the road, it’s going to be a lot easier to fix.”
Offer applies to all Lexus passenger and SUV range (4WD vehicles excluded). The offer excludes LX and GX models. Offer ends 31 January 2026 and bookings are essential. Sydney City Lexus reserves the right to withdraw, extend, or amend the offer at any time without prior notice.
Offer is not redeemable for cash and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. For further information, contact cservicelexus@sydneycitylexus.com.au
