Can the Toyota Windom be Called Lexus ES300? - Vol.294
The answer is yes. Lexus is the luxury division of Toyota Corporation. It became the best-selling luxury brand in the US in 2000, but it didn't introduce its cars in Japan until 2005.
The reason for it is simple: affluent Japanese prefer expensive luxury European cars to domestic ones. And "European", when it comes to cars in Japan, is synonymous with "German".
To the Japanese, Lexus is just another version of Toyota, a brand that is everywhere in Japan with a 45% market share. It is simply not exclusive enough. Japanese customers believe that brands such as BMW and Mercedes Benz offer more individuality.
This is why in 2007 Lexus has only sold 34800 cars in Japan. This number is similar to the number of cars Lexus sold in the USA in the month of December in 2007 alone.
Another problem is that before Toyota introduced Lexus brand to the market, it was selling the same vehicles under the Toyota brand. As Lexus, these same cars became on average 20% more expensive.
By the time Toyota introduced Lexus to the Japanese market in 2005, BMW and Mercedes had acquired strong leading positions in the luxury car segment in Japan. Introduction of the Lexus brand has only improved the sales of European car makers, because people were flocking to BMW and Mercedes dealerships to compare European cars to Lexus. Independent auto consultants have estimated that 80% of Lexus buyers in Japan bought a Lexus after having a Toyota, only 5% of buyers have switched to Lexus from Mercedes of BMW.
Toyota introduced and started selling Lexus ES in 1989, the year it debuted its first flagship Lexus LS.Lexus ES was sold in Japan as Toyota Windom until the launch of the fifth generation of Lexus ES in 2006.The ES name stands for Executive Sedan.
The ES was the only front-wheel drive Lexus from 1989 up until 1998, when Lexus RX was introduced.
Lexus ES was first shown at North American Auto Show in Detroit as part of the launch of Lexus brand. It was shown together with Lexus LS in order to avoid introduction of a new brand with just one car model.
First Lexus ES was available as ES250 with a 2.5 V6 liter engine it borrowed from Toyota Camry. First generation ES250 had 15-inch alloy wheels, power driver seat, poweredmoon roof, a six speaker Pioneer sound system with a CD player, wood trim, power windows and leather seats.
Lexus ES had a first major redesign in 1992 model year. The model was renamed from ES250 to ES300 to underline the half-a-liter increase in engine size. The second generation ES was significantly larger than the first, adding 5 inches in length and 3 inches in width.
In 2009 Lexus ES received a revised front grille, a new lower bumper and tail lights. Standard features for this model include memory seating, windshield wipers that automatically sense rain, and rear seat side-impact airbags.
This generation of Lexus ES won a number of awards, including Best Upscale Car for the Money of 2009, Best Luxury Car Canadian Car Under $50k Award and AutoPacific 2009 Vehicle Satisfaction award.
Current model, XV60 series of Lexus ES, was introduces in April of 2012 at the New York Auto Show and received a facelift in 2015. This generation has added a hybrid version and is not being sold in Japan at all. Right-hand drive versions are available in Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Lexus ES has been the best-selling Lexus sedan in the United States for over 15 years.