Lexus Insight - 13th Edition

SYDNEY CITY LEXUS INSIGHT

LEXUS LBX IS A BREAKTHROUGH

The Lexus LBX, a compact SUV has arrived in our Sydney City Lexus showrooms simultaneously with the publication of Lexus Insight.

We invite our guests to be the first to see and experience it.

LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough X-over, and it does exactly that. It’s a brand-new model in our range, and that’s always a cause for celebration.

LBX is proof that luxury is not dictated by vehicle size, but by performing its intended function with style and truly appreciated finesse. It will be the smallest model in our Lexus range – purpose-built to provide our guests with luxurious comfort while maintaining a compact footprint on our roads – easy to park, easy to manoeuvre in traffic and light on fuel use. In other words, just right for Sydney. Lexus quotes fuel consumption of just 3.8 litres/100 km on the combined cycle. Amazing.

Naturally, LBX is a hybrid, combining the very latest internal combustion engine of just 1.5 litres capacity with an electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery to provide superb fuel economy and performance.

It’s loaded with driver aids, including Lexus Teammate Advanced Park, which allows virtually autonomous parking in parallel or perpendicular spots.

LBX is available in two grades. The great news is that its starting recommended retail price is $47,550 plus on road costs. And each LBX provides a complimentary three-year subscription to Lexus Connected Services and to our Lexus Encore lifestyle program.

We’re convinced it’s the right vehicle for so many of our guests.

LEXUS SETS NEW RECORDS

A MESSAGE FROM DEALER PRINCIPAL JOHN ROCA

I want to say thank you and congratulations to our guests for your involvement in a golden period for Lexus in Australia. Although it’s almost three months past, Lexus in 2023 achieved a record by meeting the demand of 15,192 guests to drive away in one of our range throughout the year. That set a new, quite amazing, all-time high.

The previous highest record of deliveries was 9612 in 2019; a massive increase of 58 per cent. It seemed almost unbelievable. And it wasn’t just catch-up. The answer lies in the two years – pre-Covid and post-Covid. Lexus had been firmly building in 2019. Covid put a stop to required growth, but it didn’t take away demand.

Post-Covid, demand had grown exponentially, and it was up to us to meet it with actual vehicles. That took some doing. We were in competition with the rest of the world. Happily, Australia is a key Lexus stronghold and our factory reacted positively.

It was really interesting to see how our guests’ requirements had changed over the period.

Sixty per cent of our deliveries were for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric Lexus. That was the first time intelligent electrified powertrains had accounted for the majority of deliveries. In many cases, we were able to meet guests’ expectations of delivery timing. There were some models, like our incredibly popular NX 350h, which still took four to six months. But at least that was down from 24.

The good news is that Lexus designers and engineers kept working on new models throughout Covid and the result of their intelligence will be seen in the LBX we’ve just launched and the new GX four-wheel drive due in the middle of the year.

My view of the future of Lexus is very positive. For those of our guests who delayed turning over their Lexus during the period, I suggest now is the time to evaluate the current value of your vehicle and what is best for you. The Covid period saw some quite aggressive increases in pre-owned vehicle values. That situation has most likely eased now, so it makes good sense to re-evaluate your motoring economies.

John Roca, Dealer Principal

RZ DEFINES THE FUTURE

Sydney City Lexus is receiving outstandingly positive feedback from the first of our guests to experience our new all-electric RZ, the first ground-up electric SUV in our range. The RZ is the start of our electric future, and it provides a real-world glimpse of what is to come. Some of the comments we’ve received from our enthusiastic guests include:

“It’s a Tardis – deceptively small on the outside and so spacious inside”. That’s because without a conventional engine, gearbox, and drivetrain, there’s so much more room for people.

“It has blind spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, and autonomous braking – and none of them are obtrusive. They just do their job.”

“Its ride quality and refinement are like nothing I’ve experienced before (except another Lexus).” One of our guests called it serene.

“Its acceleration is amazing”. Lexus quotes 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds. That’s sports car territory”.

“The infotainment display is big, bright, and easy to use, without doubt the best on any car I’ve ever driven.”

“The kids love the back seat. They feel cocooned.”

“Cargo capacity is really good. It holds my golf clubs with ease.” Lexus quotes luggage capacity of 522 litres.

Most importantly, every guest has reported positively on range. The onboard charger can recharge up to 80 per cent capacity in just 30 minutes when it's hooked up to a DC fast charger.

Importantly, everyone we’ve spoken to talks the RZ up as extraordinary – a step into the future. Get a first-hand look at the RZ here

LEXUS LIVING WITH LUKE MANGAN

Celebrity chef Luke Mangan has agreed to share some of his best recipes with Sydney City Lexus.

“Easter is a time for family and friends together. My advice - don’t get stuck in the kitchen. Cook something you know and do a lot of preparation in advance. Prepare something that can be in the middle of the table – for everyone to share.”

Here’s Luke’s recipe.

POACHED SALMON, JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD WITH GINGER, CORIANDER & MINT

SERVES 4

Ingredients

500g Salmon skinned & unblooded

1 litre cold water

½ litre white wine

1 stick celery, sliced

1 onion peeled & sliced

1 carrot peeled & sliced

1 leek, sliced

3 Lebanese cucumbers

Salad

½ bunch of Vietnamese mint

½ bunch coriander

½ bunch Thai basil

Crisp eschalot (shallow fried until crisp in peanut oil)

3 Lebanese cucumbers

Ginger Dressing

6 tblsp olive oil

3 tblsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 knob of ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 stick of lemon grass, outer leaves removed, inner ones finely chopped

Soy sauce to taste

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bring to the boil onion, celery, carrot and leek. Simmer for ½ hour then add salmon. Poach 5-10mins. Take off the heat & let cool in water. Remove salmon & refrigerate.

For the dressing

Mix everything together in a bowl and season to taste. Wash the cucumbers and finely slice along their length with a mandolin. Place the strips on a plate and spread them out. Sprinkle with some ripped-up fresh mint and coriander and drizzle generously with the ginger and rice wine vinegar dressing. Reserve some of the dressing for drizzling over the chicken.

To Serve

Place the salad in the middle of the plate, slice the salmon into 1cm thick pieces and place on top. Finish with the remaining dressing over the salmon.

Luke Mangan is a Sydney City Lexus ambassador. He’s hosting a very special Luke’s Table, within the South East Pylon of the Sydney Harbor Bridge between now and Vivid. And in May, he’s in Tokyo, conducting a Food and Wine fair at the Shinjuku Hilton.

SOMEONE YOU HAVE TO MEAT

We’re delighted to welcome Craig Cook The Natural Butcher to our Sydney City Lexus Luxe Experience Programme.

We’re able to offer access to Craig’s wide range of meats at a guest-only reduced price and to include our guests in Craig’s unique Spin and Win prize competition exclusive to his own customers.

Online orders made through our new association will be free of delivery charges.

It’s a great association. Australian Business News has just acclaimed Craig’s paddock-to-plate concept as Australia’s best butcher – and we’re more than a little proud that we’ve had some input into his success.

“I’ve modelled a lot of what I’m doing on the Lexus example. It's all about consistent quality,” Craig said. Craig grows his own meat, and does it to a high level, controlling the choice of Angus cattle, the climate they graze in, their food stock, and their development.

These days, because demand has outgrown his own ability to supply, he’s now introduced his technique to a select group of farmers, all of whom work to his exacting requirements.

His 15 retail outlets – branded the Natural Butcher –each comply with industry standards but then add

his own exacting requirements on top: just as we do with our Lexus master technician program.

Craig has been a guest of Sydney City Lexus for many years. He drives an LX 500d, including on his Tova Estate farm at Exeter, and his wife Alison has a superb UX. Now we’re proud to be customers of theirs as well.

“My ultimate KPI is the amount of repeat business I achieve,” Craig said. “In that respect, I’m totally aligned with Lexus.” Modestly, we’re proud to say we have the highest loyalty rate in the industry.

SEVEN-SEAT LUXURY

Lexus has added a seven-seat version of our rangetopping LX Sports Luxury four-wheel drive. It seems such a small addition and yet it means so much.

Previously our LX 500d and LX 600 grades offered a third row of seating, but some guests who wanted only the opulent Sports Luxury felt they were missing out.

The LX Sports Luxury defines five-seat comfort and versatility. Now we’re able to offer seven seats,

providing those guests who want it with a third row of seating. The seven-seat version comes with power-folding third-row, curtain airbag protection for passengers in the third row, and USB-C outlets for the rearmost passengers.

The ultra-plush LX Sports Luxury already features heated and cooled front and second-row outboard seats, a cooled centre console box, and second-row entertainment system.

A HUMBLE AWAKENING

This is a true story. Con Hatzivasiliou, our general manager - service, was speaking to a guest who told him about the work Vinnies does in our area. At our next executive meeting, Con put it to us that we should go hands-on and discover what Vinnies does.

A few of us went “on the vans” (one of us gave up a birthday family dinner) to do it and we spent a night meeting and feeding homeless.

We also met Josie Charbel, Vinnies’ zone manager in Redfern, Surry Hills, and Waterloo. She is the most selfless person you’ll ever meet and a true inspiration. She’d been a school teacher- and for the last 17 years she’s been with Vinnies fulfilling her life’s calling.

That was three months ago. Now we’ve provided a vehicle to tow their food van, and we’re using what skills we have to help Josie bring more than food to the vulnerable. We’re talking about programs that restore and respect dignity.

Josie says we’re the only corporate she’s ever worked with that hasn’t sought anything in return. We’re not doing that with this story either. The purpose of this piece is to alert our guests to the excellent work Josie and her team do, and to humbly, request that you support her if you can.

SUPPORTING A WORTHY CAUSE

On 8th of March, we celebrated International Women’s Day to recognise the strong and inspirational women that work with us at Sydney City Lexus.

This year we decided to be more proactive in our approach. Our General Manager Lexus, Enzo Alessi rounded up his team members and persuaded them to make a big push to sell and deliver vehicles to our guests in that entire week as we donated $100 for each vehicle sold to a worthy cause – The St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Women’s Safehouse.

Josie Charbel, who is the Vinnies’ zone manager in Redfern, Surry Hills, and Waterloo hadn’t expected it, and was most grateful.

We also celebrated the inspirational women in our business. Click here to watch what they had to say about their experiences.

WEEKEND GETAWAY JERVIS BAY

Jervis Bay, it's an easy drive. We’re staying overnight in Huskisson, but if you’re simply looking for a day trip with the chance to sit on the whitest sand in Australia, it’s still doable.

Jervis Bay is less than three hours from Sydney. You can drive straight down the Prince Highway to get there fast. But we’re going to get there slow, driving on the scenic route from Bowral down through Fitzroy Falls.

You can actually walk across the top of the falls on a bridge, and when they’re running it’s one of the great experiences of the world. Drop down from Falls into Kangaroo Valley and you’re in ice cream and fudge lovers' paradise. There’s a plethora of gelato opportunities on the main street.

Jervis Bay is still an undiscovered paradise - amazing, given its proximity to Sydney. But on the White Sands walk you can sometimes feel you’re the only person in the world.

We’re staying at the Bay and Bush Cottages on Pritchard Avenue, just five minutes’ drive from Huskisson, among the kangaroos and koalas (yes, they still exist in the wild). And at dawn, we’re going to be on Hyams Beach, surely the whitest sand ever.

Later that day before heading home we’ve booked a Jervis Bay Wild Cruise .We might go whale or dolphin watching or if the temperature is right go boom netting in the surf.

We’ll come straight up Highway One on the way home. We’ll be sure to call in on the Bombora Café in Wollongong’s North Harbour for afternoon coffee and cake to watch the kite surfing in the bay.

A FOND FAREWELL

It’s with deep regret we pass on to our guests the news that Joseph Brender has passed away. Mr Brender –Joseph – was one of our first and most loyal guests

and we will miss his friendship. Our condolences are with his wife Gerda and his family.

Sydney City Lexus Waterloo 824 Bourke Street

WATERLOO NSW, 2017

02 8303 1900

Sydney City Lexus Glebe 36-38 Parramatta Rd, GLEBE NSW 2037

02 9565 6363

sales@sydneycitylexus.com.au

www.sydneycitylexus.com.au