Lexus New Zealand has broken through the 1,000 annual sales figure with 1,005 new car sales in 2021, a major milestone for the luxury brand which has been in New Zealand since 1992.

While sales of SUVs continue to dominate, the overwhelming trend for Lexus in 2021 was the increasing proportion of hybrid sales. More than two out of three new Lexus cars or SUVs leaving Lexus stores in 2021 were electrified with hybrid powertrains.

Lexus New Zealand General Manager Andrew Davis says Lexus is on a journey to both increase Lexus sales and importantly work towards carbon neutrality through a varied portfolio of sustainable powertrain options for customers.

“During 2021 we have seen more than a 26% increase year to date in Lexus Electrified product sales and this is expected to continue as we also increase our Lexus Electrified product range to include Plug-in (PHEV) and Battery electric (BEV) vehicles

“The acceleration of the development and acceptance of the electric vehicle has been extraordinary. Our customers are really taking to them, and our sales are increasing as they can see the benefits of both cleaner driving and lower fuel costs. An amazing 72% of Lexus sales in 2021 were electrified, the total CO2 was just 142g per km,” he says.

As a result, Lexus is well positioned to meet the government’s proposed emissions requirements. And the just released battery electric UX300e and plug-in hybrid NX450h+, which is due to arrive early in the New Year, will further contribute to the emissions reduction programme.

Longer term, emissions from Lexus are expected to fall dramatically following an announcement from Toyota Motor Corporation that all its models will be pure electric by 2035. In mid-December, Lexus revealed a line-up of four concept electrified vehicles including sedan, SUV and a potential fully electric spiritual successor to the hallowed LF-A V10 hypercar.

Sales of Lexus in 2021 in New Zealand were also bolstered by key developments in the Dealership network with a new Lexus of Tauranga opening early in the year and Lexus of North Shore received a complete renovation and refit.