SYDNEY CITY LEXUS
ALL NEW LEXUS GX A NEW ROAD OPENS
The all new three-model Lexus GX series has hit our showroom and it’s a runaway success. Its literally breaking new ground.
The GX is a completely new range, complementing our showstopping LX all wheel, all-purpose four-wheel drive.
GX combines around town luxury with the capability for serious off-road adventure.
Its V6 twin turbo engine develops 260kW and an incredible 650Nm of torque for responsive performance and great towing ability.
The Luxury and Sports Luxury grades have seven seats. The built for purpose LX 550 Overlander has five seats and stacks on a cornucopia of offroad oriented features including electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension and multi-terrain controls.
It is the most adventure focussed Lexus we’ve ever received.
The Lexus GX extends our product portfolio to ten distinctive models, meeting the diverse needs of our guests better than ever before.
FUEL FOR THOUGHT
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE FROM JOHN ROCA, PRINCIPAL, SYDNEY CITY LEXUS
Which power train to invest in?
Increasingly that’s the question I’m being asked by guests as they consider their next purchase, and for that matter, the one beyond. The changing face of the automotive market demands a long view.
Electric, petrol electric hybrid, petrol, even diesel are all in the mix. Aside from the day-to-day consideration of which is better suited to purpose, there’s the very real concern of investment. Motor vehicles are assets and retaining value in them is an imperative.
At Lexus the pendulum is swinging inexorably towards petrol-electric hybrid. That power train comprises just under 60 percent of our demand. Conventional petrol power accounts for just under 40 percent. Diesel, available in the off-road capable Lexus LX and electric in the Lexus UX 300e gather less than five percent.
You could argue that the make-up of our model range skews the statistics, but that’s not the case. We compete in an open market and our guests have a wide range of options.
Petrol-electric hybrid is simply becoming the power train of choice.
There are those who suggest hybrid is simply a stepping stone on the road to full electric. I disagree.
Electric is constrained by available infrastructure. I applaud early adopters – they drive change.
But we’ve had two guests trade their electric cars for a more secure hybrid solution after experiencing real time
range anxiety. The promise of ready availability of long distance charging stations has not met their expectations. It’s akin, they told me, to owning the world’s best train, but someone forgetting to build the tracks.
The grey-import market is doing the electric movement no favours. Cheap second hand electric cars are arriving here with the promise of full charge capability which in some cases has turned out to be just one third of available charge. There’s a need for care when buying in the grey market.
Lexus has taken an omnistical view to drive train technology. Motive power is part of the excellence of our complete package. In delivering our guests a truly luxurious experience the drive train should not be a disproportionate consideration.
We have had excellent response from guests who own our Lexus RX450h, our Plug In Hybrid Electric SUV. It is surely the ultimate transition between reliance on conventional fuel sources and electricity, as near as you can come to perpetual motion.
Our petrol-electric hybrid guests talk of real world benefits in glowing terms. Not only do they achieve far greater fuel economy, but they visit the pumps far less, and it seems it’s that convenience that appeals to them as much as the cost saving.
The demand for petrol-electric hybrids is sky high. That’s keeping retained values high as well.
Sometime in the future an even better solution may present itself, but for the moment, and for foreseeable upcoming ownership cycles, my money is on petrol-electric hybrid.
John Roca, Dealer Principal
LEXUS LM BEYOND PREMIUM
The Lexus LM 500H Ultra Luxury is the automotive equivalent of an executive jet, except you get to fly it yourself.
We launched the sensational seven seat Lexus LM range last year to great acclaim from guests who appreciate the space and comfort of a luxury people mover.
LM created new standards in the rarified atmosphere of corporate, and for that matter family, travel.
But there were those who wanted more, or rather, less.
They asked for a four-seat version where the two rear seats were luxuriously appointed captain’s chairs granted a huge amount of room with 1018mm of space between the occupants’ hip point and the sliding front partition which can be closed at the touch of a button for full privacy.
The leather accented captain’s chairs can slide forwards and backwards by 480mm and the seat backs recline up to 63 degrees.
An ottoman extends to provide a fully flat seat experience for total relaxation.
Just like a first-class aeroplane seat, the captain’s chairs return to the fully upright position with the touch of a single button.
There’s independent temperature control, a large capacity refrigerator, a massive 48-inch widescreen monitor (the largest on any vehicle in Australia), wireless phone chargers and two USB-C ports.
It’s possible to dial up 64 different cabin mood colours. Not surprisingly, we’ve fielded a lot of enquiries for what is a very exclusive offering.
ELEVATING^ GUEST BENEFITS
Sydney City Lexus is proud to be part of a Lexus Australia’s initiative to further our position in providing lifestyle privileges to all our guests.
The program lays the foundations for an unrivalled ownership experience that distinguishes Lexus from any other brand.
A new Encore Elevate paid membership program will give every member of our Lexus community access to our Encore program.
Encore Elevate provides the key to the use of special Lexus vehicles, twice a year for up to five days at a time, through a program called Lexus on Demand.
Guests may want to use a stunning LC grand touring car for a weekend getaway or an LM luxury mover for a special family outing.
Valet parking at selected shopping centres four times a year and two guest passes to more than 800 premium airline lounges worldwide are part of the offering.
The program is available to all our Lexus guests, including those who’ve purchased Certified pre-owned vehicles as long as their car was purchased through an authorised Lexus Australia dealer.
Membership is $1,899 a year.
Encore Platinum retains its VIP status for L-series customers by remaining complimentary for three years while doubling the number of Lexus on demand loans to four with use up to eight days at a time. Free valet parking is double to eight and airline passes to four.
^Conditions apply.
CRIS CHEN’S AMAZING LEXUS JOURNEY
Mr. Cris Chen, part of the family that runs the Phoenix Group of Chinese Restaurants in Sydney and Brisbane, has bought ten Lexus from Sydney City Lexus in the last five years – and recommended us to many of his own customers and friends.
Cris doesn’t count himself as a motoring enthusiast (although he does track days in his McLaren), but he spends a huge amount of time driving between his four Sydney restaurants.
“I value the comfort and the entertainment,” he said.
Cris is a man on a mission. Just as Lexus has based its success on the excellence of its components and the skill of its craftsmen (called Takumi), Cris is pioneering a restaurant concept in which he centralises the kitchen process to guarantee consistency of quality.
The Phoenix Group is known – no, revered-for its dumplings.
Cris’s plan is to bring dumpling production under one roof, within the control of specialised experts, working with the best quality of stock sourced daily. It will be the Lexus of kitchens.
We have a lot in common. Just as Akio Toyoda, chairman of Lexus talks of the ‘secret sauce’ of our cars, the Phoenix Group bases its success on the three pillars of Colour, Aroma and Taste.
“I sit with John Roca, and we share a lot of thoughts,” Cris said.
“I help him better understand my Asian market and he helps me appreciate Lexus’ philosophy.”
John walked into Cris’ Zetland restaurant in 2019 for Yum Cha and left with an order for the first of Cris’ fleet of new cars. Now his brother and mother each own one, his mother-in-law and wife have four between them and the family has the new seven seat Lexus LM 350 luxury mover for outings.
“My kids love the TV in the rear,” Cris said. Cris’s personal choice for a daily drive is the top of the range Lexus LS500h – in white as is most of his fleet.
“Cris’s customer service principles are exemplary,”
John Roca said. “His success depends on repeat business and he’s forever, politely, asking his guests how he can improve his service to them. It’s the attention to customer satisfaction that makes all the difference.”
Cris is proud of the quality output of his restaurants but still says: “We can’t live by our chefs.”
Quite rightly, according to John Roca, he’s identified that true connection with his guests goes beyond the excellence of the food he offers. It goes to the heart of the experience they enjoy.
But surely there’s always the difficult customer?
“That would be John Roca,” Cris joked. “He can never remember the name of the Fujian fried rice he enjoys so much. Happily, we know, and have it ready in advance.”
LUKE’S TABLE A CULINARY ADVENTURE
Celebrity chef Luke Mangan is a friend and ambassador of Sydney City Lexus. In the last edition of Lexus Insight, Luke agreed to provide insight into his magnificent menu.
His first recipe was so well received, he agreed to provide another – this time a taste of spring.
LAMB LOIN WITH PEAS, FETTA & PINE NUTS
Ingredients
6 x 150g lamb loins, trimmed
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
2cups fresh or frozen peas
4tbsp fetta
2tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Good handful of mint leaves chopped
1 lemon
Cracked black pepper
Spoon the crushed peas among individual serving plates. Slice lamb loin into about 5 to 6 slices and arrange on top of the crushed peas. Spoon more crushed peas and mint on top. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve with a large green salad. SERVES
Method
Season the lamb loin and drizzle over some olive oil.
Heat a barbecue grill or frypan to a high heat and cook the lamb loins for 1 minute on each side. The meat should not be overcooked, but pink in the middle. Leave to rest. Cook the peas in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and crush with a fork. Add the fetta and crush further to combine. Add the toasted pine nuts and mint, a squeeze of lemon and a good splash of olive oil and pepper.
OUR LEXUS COMMUNITY
The Sydney City group, encompassing both our brands, has made a pact with St. Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) NSW to volunteer four times a year for their local food delivery. It's our way of being worthy corporate citizens. It’s a humbling and yet rewarding experience. There’s a whole community out there in need of help. And you really only become aware of them when you're part of Vinnies’ NSW organised support system.
We’ve promised a team of 10 each time and there’s been an overwhelming response. We have said we’d pass on the opportunity to our guests, so if you’d like to donate, please contact Josie.Charbel@vinnies.org.au
For three years, Sydney City group has been supporting the Mark Hughes Foundation, established by the former football great to fund research into brain cancer.
Mark was diagnosed in 2013 and he based his fight and his own recovery on doing something truly positive. This year, in its Beanies for Brain Cancer promotion alongside Round 13 of the NRL competition, the foundation raised $3 million - for the third successive season.
Sydney City group bought fundraising beanies for all 256 of our team members, asked them to dig deep on the day of the company-wide BBQ and has raised over $23,000 in the past 3 years.
We support the Mark Hughes Foundation in the loving memory of our dear colleague and friend, Aykut Bayraktar, who we lost to brain cancer in 2021.
SPRING RACING J-MAC’S QUEST FOR THE DOUBLE
This spring, James McDonald (J-Mac), Australia’s best jockey and Sydney City Lexus ambassador could accomplish two amazing achievements.
James currently leads the Longines Worlds Best Jockey points score, awarded over 100 Gp1 races globally, and by the end of our Spring Racing Carnival he could claim the prestigious title for the second time.
He’s also in contention to become the first person ever to win The Melbourne Cup and the $20 million Everest in the same year – for the second time.
He won them both in 2021 and was named World’s Best Jockey a year later. Both seem incredible achievements – way beyond anyone’s expectation. But J-Mac, just 32, and already our statistically best jockey, is legitimately in contention.
“It’d be nice to do both again, it would open up a lot of possibility internationally,” he says, modestly.
Yet it’s another race – the 2000metre Ladbrokes Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on 26 October that’s captured James’ real attention.
“The Cox Plate is officially recognised as Australia’s leading Gp1 race in the world rankings,” he explained. “They say it’s the best two minutes in sport – any sport.”
James has won it for the last two years and he’s aiming for a three-peat: “My current picks for a ride are Fan Girl or Viva Sistina”.
According to our other racing ambassador Peter Snowden, “James can choose any horse he wants.” The Snowden stables won the first two Everests when they were “only worth $10million and $13million,” Peter joked.
Now Peter is gearing up for an assault on the $20 million purse and he’d like J-Mac on whatever horse he may enter, but it’s a long shot.
“Every owner wants him. You can’t lock him in. He’s the best jockey in the world – a combination of his sense of timing, that he’s light and strong and his good communication,” Peter said.
So, here’s a thought – why not target the Everest, the Melbourne Cup, and the Cox Plate. “It would look good on the CV,” James smiled.
SPRING THAW A DRIVE LIKE NO OTHER
THREDBO TO DAVIES HIGH PLAINS HUT
Spring in the Snowy Mountains is magic. The thaw excites the rivers and streams, flora and fauna are abundant, and the entire region has an amazing feeling of renewal.
One of our favourite four-wheel drives is from Thredbo down the Alpine Way, across the Murray River at historic Tom Groggin station and then up into the ultra-high country to Davies High Plains.
The high country huts are part of Australia’s rich history, and the Davies High Plains Hut is iconic amongst them.
The drive is best done in convoy, or with an experienced four-wheel drive guide, perhaps as part of a tagalong tour.
It’s possible to get up and back in a day, but there are also camp sites at the bottom (Tom Groggin) and the top (the Hut) – and both make an overnight stay a delight in the best of the high-country bush.
It’s around a six hour drive from Sydney to Thredbo –500kms on good highways all the way.
Thredbo is a year-round resort, and while in Spring it’s a bit lazy after a full-on winter there’s still plenty of accommodation, restaurants, and hiking.
In fact, if you go no further, a weekend at Thredbo with a 4km walk along the Thredbo River trail where it's likely you’ll see platypus is a delight in itself.
The drive 20 km down the Alpine Way to Tom Groggin station is on gravel. There’s usually some snow around and the road twists through giant gums.
Crossing the Murray in the thaw is one of the great 4x4 experiences. You need to take great care; it can be fast flowing and surprisingly deep. Check with the park rangers, and don’t attempt it if you’re not confident.
The feeling of satisfaction when you make it is marvellous. Then it’s a 30km uphill, sometimes low range, climb to Davies High Plains at 1580 metres. There’s plenty of pull over and camp sites on the way up, and, please, always respect 4x4 protocols.
The earthen floor Davies hut was built by local graziers a century ago and it was rebuilt by high country enthusiasts in 1995. Miraculously it's escaped bush fires and storms and it offers a rare insight into a bygone era.
If you’re doing it in a day, a third of the day up, and two thirds of the day back is our golden rule. The weather can always change, and you’re best advised to leave a safety margin for the return trip (remember you have to cross the Murray again).
The open log fire at your Thredbo accommodation that night will be a perfect completion to a magic day.
