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Lexus Wants To Achieve The Driving Characteristics Of German Premium Rivals
Lexus has been compared to German premium rivals since 2018. Although Lexus has gained a significant position in America, it is unable to catch up with the German premium brands on the Old Continent. If we exclude a few sporty models, the rest of the range does not have a dynamic spirit. Now Lexus wants to change that.
Toyota’s sub-brand has been compared to its German rivals for the past six years, and so far they have noticed that they lack German toughness..
More precisely, it is about stiffness, so Lexus has already installed reinforcements in all models available in Europe. Now they want to achieve similar driving dynamics on all models and thus define the new Lexus character with a sporty signature.
“We’re aiming for the same driving taste no matter which Lexus model you’re driving,” Toshinori Ito, project chief for Lexus’ Performance Sensitivity Development department, told Auto News.
At the same time, Toshuri admits that they mainly strengthened the rear part of the vehicle, not fully understanding the connection between body stiffness and the positioning of the vehicle while driving. “We learned about it by studying the competition. Once we figured it out, we wanted to add it to all Lexus models.”
The electric RZ received additional structural elements at the front when it began production in 2022, while the crossover NX received a front modification in 2023 and received rear-end improvements this year. “We can confirm that it can be done across the line,” Ito told Auto News.
These changes will be fully implemented across the entire product line. This could take years as some upgrades require more extensive changes to the chassis and thus the manufacturing process. Still, it’s all good news for those who enjoy driving.
