Lexus is doing something completely out of character in this region by going ahead and launching the first hybrid hatchback in the UAE, at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Motor Show. The CT 200h, originally designed for the European market, will become the cheapest hybrid car to be sold in the UAE, undercutting various manufacturers who have only been bringing in ridiculously-priced high-end models here.
The current-generation Lexus LS 460 has always been available with a powerful direct-injection 4.6-litre V8 in other markets. However, when the latest LS was launched in 2007, it came with a detuned V8 for the GCC market, possibly over concerns of poor petrol quality in some countries in this region. Now the UAE dealer has rectified that.
We first tested the current iteration of the Lexus LX 570 when it debuted in 2008, alongside the Toyota Land Cruiser on which it is based. So when we were offered the 2011 Lexus LX 570 for a test-drive, we almost rejected it. But then we figured “why not.” Maybe something has changed. It turns out nothing has changed, although our tester was a more interesting vehicle than the one we drove before.
Toyota has announced yet another worldwide safety recall, now involving approximately 1.66 million vehicles around the globe, for leaky brakes.
The exclusive UAE dealer for Toyota has announced the launch of Lexus’ first high performance sports sedan from the ‘F’ series, the 2011 Lexus IS F.
The Lexus IS F is finally joining the Japanese luxury carmaker’s GCC line-up. Going on sale in the UAE by mid-October, the Lexus IS F luxo-sports sedan is designed to run with proper sports cars, and as such was track-tested heavily at Japan’s Fuji Speedway.
The Lexus line-up is going to expand for the 2011 model year. After sitting out the GCC market for many years, two new variants of the Lexus IS compact sports sedan will join the range, namely the IS 250 and the IS-F, alongside the existing IS 300. Also new will be the Lexus LFA supercar.
The European-spec Lexus IS has been facelifted, but with no real mechanical changes. However, the changes are so minor that we’re hard-pressed to figure out what they are.
Toyota’s Dubai-based dealer office has released a statement that the 2002-2007 Lexus LX 470, the 1999-2004 Toyota Avalon and the 2000-2001 Toyota Corolla are being recalled in the UAE. Only a few GCC-spec Corolla models are affected, while the Land Cruiser seems to have escaped the recall here.
The hits just keep on coming for Toyota, as they’ve announced yet another recall, this time covering 39,000 Lexus LX 470 4x4s built between 2003 and 2007.