5th Gen Lexus RX Will Be Launched In India By Q2 Of 2023: Naveen Soni, Lexus India
Naveen Soni, President of Lexus India in an exclusive conversation with Editorial Lead of BW Auto World, Utkarsh Agarwal shares the future plans of Lexus in India and some insights from the Auto Expo 2023, read the excerpts below:-
Q. What’s the mission of Lexus RX unveiled at the Auto Expo and by when will we see it on the Indian roads?
We’re proud to present this crossover SUV for the Indian car market. We have opened the bookings for RX already and hopefully by the second quarter of this year we should be able to see this car on the Indian roads. It is the first connected vehicle from the Lexus and we are confident that we will be able to meet the aspirations of the crossover SUV customers. The customers today want to travel from point A to point B in the most comfortable manner, so from that point of view this car does provide comfort, luxury and also the off-road capabilities that customers desire in an off roader.
Q. Alongside RX, Lexus has also showcased two very interestingly designed concept vehicles here. By when will we see something like that on the Indian roads?
I’m equally excited to bring those vehicles to the country. Both the LF-30 and LF-Z are based on electric platforms and electric vehicles need a different platform in terms of lightness, rigidity and other factors. It has to carry much heavier weights in terms of battery, etc. So, the configuration of the vehicle is different. The shape and size is definitely more appealing because the consumers are always looking for something new, something exciting, something unique and these vehicles have been tailor-made to take care of such requirements and we are happy to showcase them here and get feedback from the consumers. And I'm very happy that it's being liked by people who are seeing these cars and hope to see these on the Indian roads at the earliest.
Q. At the Auto Expo, we are seeing many OEMs unveiling AFVs (Alternative Fuel Vehicles), is Lexus also planning something similar in future?
In the long term 2035, Lexus as a brand direction has given a mandate that we will be looking at 100 per cent Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) which will be coming from Lexus by 2035. Towards that we are looking at more and more vehicles. Currently 97 per cent of our portfolio is Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Self-Charging.
Q. Do the future belong to Hybrid, Electric or AFVs (Alternative Fuel Vehicles)?
Future is for all technologies, future is for reduction of carbon, future is for improvement of fuel efficiencies, future is for sustainability. Technology is just a medium to explore these pathways. Any pathway that leads to carbon neutrality will find favour for the consumer.
Q. What’s the company's plan for the year ahead?
We are looking at growing our touchpoints. Last year at the beginning it was 4 touchpoints in four cities, by the end of the year we could reach around 17 touchpoints in thirteen cities and we want to grow this even further. The growth rate is coming faster from semi-urban and rural areas because of that we are looking at expanding Lexus to rural areas too.
Q. So, how was the year 2022 for Lexus?
2022 was a breakaway year for Lexus. Percentage wise we grew about 76 per cent as compared to 53 per cent of the industry and in terms of business, we witnessed a growth of 3x as of 2021. Overall, it was a good year that gave us confidence that we can and we will, and excitedly looking forward to this year also.
