Lexus Begins Indian Journey

Over the years, the word ‘Lexus’ in India is most commonly associated with the Toyota Land Cruiser. Quite a few Indians would have remembered seeing the word ‘Lexus’ or the L logo encircled on a Toyota Land Cruiser. Well, not many people in India know that Lexus is the luxury division of Japanese car giant Toyota. Toyota began work in 1983, on developing a new premium sedan code-named F1. In 1989 this led to the inception of the first Lexus product – the Lexus LS. Back in 2014 there was talk about Lexus entering India, however this did not materialize as the import duty and other taxes were too high. The wait is finally over! Lexus has entered India with a 3-model lineup which includes the RX 450h, ES 300h, LX 450d.

   The Indian luxury car market is dominated by the German auto giants – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi with Mercedes-Benz leading the way. There are other players as well such as Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo. The luxury segment in the Indian market has been one where there is cut throat competition where car manufacturers are continuously pushing the boundaries of excellence with respect to technology, comfort, driving pleasure and last but not the least luxury. In such a competitive market, it is very difficult for any player to be it an existing or new to sustain and make a lasting impression. On the other hand, the Indian market is a very exciting prospect for luxury car buyers looking to have a slice of the market, because the Indian car buyer is becoming younger and at the same time more affluent. In the Indian scenario, Lexus’ competitors have been on the market for the considerably longer period this is a major advantage for the competition as they know exactly what the Indian customer is looking for. The Indian customers have been accustomed to cars which deliver both great luxuries and at the same time are great driving machines with a good balance of leisure and enthusiasm. Whereas Lexus is more inclined towards providing with comfort and efficiency. In the Indian luxury segment, there is a great demand for diesel cars, as most of the units sold are diesel powered; Lexus has a very limited range of diesel engines and the cars which are going to be offered here are going to be hybrids. Most of the German cars, JLR etc. are locally assembled, manufactured, Whereas Lexus will initially sell their cars only as a full import unit, making the cars considerably expensive. The RX450h is a crossover SUV powered by a 3.5L V6 direct injection petrol engine paired to an electric motor producing 305 bhp. The ES300h is the flagship sedan of Lexus-powered by a 2.5L petrol engine paired to an electric motor generating about 200 bhp.

  Toyota has never really intended to create a cash cow out of Lexus but to build and enhance its brand image, We shall have to wait and watch how the Indian journey of Lexus unfolds. 

Range Rover Velar - On Par With Excellence

Range Rover have been one of the most popular brands in the automotive world. Always striving to be on par with excellence. A sub-brand of Land Rover, Range Rover has been pushing the boundaries of luxury, technology and overall capability for the better half of 5 decades. The Range Rover has been known as the ultimate luxury vehicle to take you anywhere, and rightly so! The Land Rover brand as a whole has been a pioneer in the off-roading segment. The first Range Rover launched in 1970, left the world amazed by its off-road capabilities, even on the harshest terrain. Over since the years the Range Rover has evolved but has keenly continued the tradition of beautifully integrating luxury and driving capability. The world renowned and Land Rover patented Terrain Response system (off-road terrain management system) does duty on all Range Rovers. This system has won many accolades as the best all terrain or 4X4 (AWD) systems ever since its debut on the Land Rover Discovery 3. In 2005, Land Rover extended the Range Rover family with the Range Rover Sport. A mid-sized SUV positioned below the Range Rover, continued the same pedigree of the Range Rover with a sportier flair to it. The range topping Range Rover Sport SVR holds the distinction of being the most capable SUV of 2017. In 2011, to meet the demand for a compact SUV capable in the urban environment targeted towards the youth and the luxury car buyer Land Rover introduced the Range Rover Evoque. The design of this SUV was an awe inspiring one. Though it was a crossover it had the roofline of a coupe and the ruggedness of an SUV. This was one of Range Rover’s most loved products. The powertrain though subsided mainly for tax benefits, was unmistakably Range Rover. It still remains one of the best designed SUVs.

  All right enough of the glorious Range Rover history! Let us put that away for a while and dive straight into where the thick of the action is. Yesterday, Land Rover unveiled the curtains on the latest addition to the Range Rover family. At an event in London, the crowds gathered for witnessing a spectacle of automotive design, technology and innovation. This event was also streamed live across the world. The moment the curtains were lifted an epitome of automotive innovation and design was showcased, the Range Rover Velar was introduced! On stage Gerry McGovern - Chief Designer, JLR came on to give the crowd and worldwide viewers a brief about the car. McGovern, described how emotionally enriching and enchanting a car can be, and how important the collaboration of the design and engineering departments of a car manufacturer is to creation of an overall balanced product. The name, Velar is derived from a Latin word which means sail or veiled. The first 26 prototypes of the Range Rover were named Velar.  At a first glance the Velar is a very striking and appealing proposition. A completely new design for an SUV. The silhouette coupe inspired roofline flows beautifully over the car, giving it a very sleek and modern look. It is by far the sleekest Range Rovers of all time. The intricate matrix LED headlamps give the car a very futuristic, bold and aggressive look. The traditional honeycomb grille gives it a distinct Range Rover identity. There is a lot of attention to detail given to the car and this is evident in the fog lamp cluster as well as the front light bay. Aerodynamics play a huge role in the design of the Velar, with a drag coefficient of 0.32 it is the most aerodynamic Land Rover ever produced. The detailed copper inserts on the bonnet, and simple yet sophisticated character lines running across the body of the car all away to the rear. They beautifully integrate into the LED tail lamps. These tail lamps are to die for! The short overhangs in the front and a long tail section give the car a flair of elegance and stature. On the first glance you notice something peculiar……. where are the door handles gone?! Well the answer to this is quite simply innovation. The Velar uses flush door handles, which slide outside when in use and slide inside, camouflaging in to the body of the car when not in use.  The simplistic and modern nature of the design continues on the inside as well. You are welcomed by a brilliantly laid out cabin which is reminiscent of other Range Rovers, but with a burst of innovation and new technology. When you enter any car you tend to first get greeted by the familiar knobs, dials on the center console. But, in the Velar you do not! The center console has been replaced by 2 large touchscreens, one on the dashboard and another below traditionally where the gear is placed. There are 2 rotary dials on either side of the touchscreen below. What is more exciting is that when you enter the vehicle, the touchscreen at the top tilts in front towards the driver. Awesomeness personified. The new dual touchscreen system called the ‘Touch Pro Duo’ by Land Rover, aims to minimize switchgear and maximize a sense of engagement and personalization between the car and the driver. The touchscreen at the top is the primary infotainment center of the cars housing controls for the telephone, Bluetooth, music, SATNAV. The touchscreen at the bottom houses controls for car related systems, such as air conditioning, Terrain Response system, Seat controls, overall vehicle diagnostic settings. The steering wheel gets touchscreen buttons too. Both the touchscreens can be individually configured as the driver wishes to. There is a large panoramic sunroof which runs across both at the front and rear. The overall quality of the seats are top notch. This car can fit 5 people very comfortably. The boot space is a large 673 Liters with the added functionality of a 60/40 split. The Velar comes with a complete air suspension setup, rides quality is just brilliant. Another great innovation of this car is that it allows for the body to be lowered, so that the passengers can enter and exit the vehicle with ease.

One could argue that the Jaguar F-Pace and the Range Rover Velar are very similar cars, well apart from sharing the same platform and a few engine options the cars are radically different. While the F-Pace is a performance oriented SUV, the Range Rover Velar is still a family vehicle with a charm unlike any other. One thing is for sure there is quite a gap in price as well as size between the Range Rover Evoque & the Range Rover Sport. The gap is not too big any more, the Velar has come in to fill the void. An all-aluminum construction gives the Velar a light, safe and strong structure. The Velar will come with 6 engine options, 2 diesels and 4 petrol. All these will be mated to an 8 speed automatic transmission. There is no confirmation of a range topping SVR/SVO model. The Range Rover Velar will go up against more traditional SUV rivals like the Audi Q7, BMW Q5, Mercedes GLS, Volvo XC90 and also the performance powerhouse from Stuttgart – Porsche Macan.  The Range Rover Velar is a brilliant proposition unlike any other and has all the underpinnings to be a market mover. The search for excellence is often an impossible one, but it is not every day that we come across cars that are marvels of engineering, a treasure trove technology, ignited with innovation and last but not the least a masterpiece of design. Car manufacturers have always banked on such products for keeping them on top of the industry and being a canvas of inspiration for others to follow. Well Range Rover seemed to have found that in the Velar – a product that should keep them on par with excellence.