Alshaar Khan

After years of speculation, Lexus finally set foot in India with a trio of models on Friday. And along with the RX 450h, the ES 300h and LX 450d, the luxury carmaker also gave a sneak preview of the all-new Lexus LS with a surprise appearance at the end of the show. While the RX 450h has two variants and starts at Rs 1.07 crore, there is only one variant each for the ES 300h (priced at RS 55.27 lakh) and the LX 450d (prices to be announced later).&nbsp;The all-new Lexus LS will be available in 2018, according to a press release. As for the three models that were launched, they will be available at guest experience centres located in New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Additionally, after sales service facilities will also be available in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.&nbsp;<img src="https://d12d6l12s3d372.cloudfront.net/rx_450h_13f5a51066.jpg">&nbsp;Speaking about Lexus’ plans for India, Lexus India senior vice president, Akitoshi Takemura said, “We are excited about what we can bring to the luxury market in India, where we see opportunities mapped to the remarkable growth the country is experiencing. This is just the beginning – we look forward to bringing more exciting products to India in the future.”&nbsp;Speaking of the cars, the LX 450d is a re-badged version of the Toyota Land Cruiser LC200 and is the only diesel model in the company’s range. It borrows its 272hp, 4.5-litre diesel from the LC200. The ES 300h sedan speaks of a similar story with the Toyota Camry Hybrid forming its base. It uses a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, mated to a CVT gearbox, for a combined output of 200hp, just like the Camry Hybrid.&nbsp;<img src="https://d12d6l12s3d372.cloudfront.net/2017_03_24_PHOTO_00000042_800x377_0dfd44385e.jpg">&nbsp;Elsewhere, the RX 450h is a mid-range luxury SUV that’s traditionally a rival to the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the Audi Q5. A 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 and electric motor, mated to a CVT gearbox, for a combined output of 308hp powers this big car that is priced a couple of segments higher than its rivals. But like Jeep, the company will look at local assembly and the price point will eventually come down in the years to come.&nbsp;The models will be available at guest experience centres located in New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Additionally, after sales service facilities will also be available in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi.

lexus.jpg

Luxury carmaker Lexus unveiled three models – the RX 450h, the ES 300h and the LX 450d