Articles on Lexus

Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. It is Japan's largest make of premium cars. Lexus vehicles are largely produced in Japan. They are continually ranked the best for reliability in the auto industry.

In 1983, Toyota started the F1 ("Flagship One") project that eventually developed into the Lexus LS 400. At the time, Japanese automakers exported more expensive models due to "voluntary export restraints" negotiated between the Japanese and American governments. The LS 400 was launched in 1989, having famously cost over $1 billion in R&D.

Lexus's vehicle lineup grew continually in the 1990s, and Toyota introduced the premium marque to the broader international markets in the 2000s. In the mid-2000s, Lexus began sales of hybrid vehicles globally, being the first premium automaker to do so.

Currently, Lexus has a broad model range that goes from hatchback to full-size SUV. Notably, however, no wagon is available since the discontinuation of the first-gen IS: