2009 Lexus IS Pricing
The upcoming changes to the 2009 Lexus IS won't be causing much in the way of a price increase in the United States. The new facelift will only see a $300 jump in price, regardless of which version is purchased.
In Canada, the 2009 IS 250 RWD & IS 350 will both see a $400 price reduction, though the IS 250 AWD get a small bump of $50 to $37,650.
[Source: Lexus]
Lexus Canada Model Price Reduction
TPP commenter Jesse P.S reminded me of something that was lost in the shuffle of the RX prototype video and the June sales reports -- Lexus Canada dropped their prices significantly on July 1st. Here's the table:
| Canadian Model Price Reductions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | Old MSRP | New MSRP |
| 2008 IS 250 | $36,550 | $31,900 |
| 2008 ES 350 | $42,900 | $39,900 |
| 2008 SC 430 | $86,100 | $78,200 |
| 2008 LS 460 | $85,800 | $80,100 |
| 2009 RX 350 | $44,350 | $42,950 |
| 2008 GX 470 | $68,500 | $65,800 |
| 2008 GS 350 AWD | $65,250 | $61,000 |
| 2008 GS 350 RWD | $52,900 | $51,000 |
| 2008 LX 570 | $101,400 | $84,600 |
| 2008 LS 600h L | $125,400 | $119,400 |
| 2008 RX 400h | $55,050 | $53,650 |
| 2008 GS 450h | $71,100 | $69,200 |
This is a stark a market correction as I've ever seen. The LX 570 alone sees a cut of $16,800. Even with the smallest reduction (which happens to be the bestselling RX 350) the price is still reduced by $1,400.
(Being a Canadian, my only complaint is that the current apple of my eye, the GS 450h, wasn't brought more inline with the US price of $55,800. Still, I'm sure potential LX owners are pretty happy about the news.)
[Source: Lexus Canada]
Lexus Canada June 2008 Sales Report
In contrast to the current US sales situation, Lexus Canada had their best June ever, posting a 22.4% increase over last year.
At 1,557 total units sold, the number pales in comparison to the US sales volume, but the rate of growth is very impressive, particularly in regard to the SUV market. Lexus Canada sold 623, which is good enough for a 55% increase over June 2007. The cars had a more modest gain of 7.4%, or 934 total sales.
The biggest eye-opener is the increase in hybrid sales, which at 192 units sold, represents a 97.9% increase over last year, and made up over 12% of all Lexus Canada sales.
[Source: Toyota]
Lexus IS-F Ringtone
The Lexus Canada website is just full of surprises -- first we had the web game that led to a secret video, and now TPP reader Jarrett mentions that there's also an IS-F ringtone available for download. Here's a preview, though I recommend turning your speakers down:
Granted, it's pretty intense, and only spent about three minutes as my default ringtone, but it would be great for freaking out your passengers while driving.
The IS-F ringtone is available here.
Crazy Lexus IS-F Donut
At first, this video didn't strike me as anything really, until it just kept going on and on:
Sure, the road surface is slicked down, but it was still good for 45 seconds of amusement.
The Toronto Auto Show & Some Site News
It's a bit last minute, but I'll be heading to the Canadian International Auto Show tomorrow in Toronto, where I'm finally going to get chance to see the Lexus IS-F (among other assorted vehicles).
It's my first auto show in years, and I'm really looking forward to it. As expected, I'll be taking a ton of photos of all things Lexus.
***
Just another note, the TPP redesign is coming along very well -- in fact, it's turning out better than expected. There's been some delays, but I think it should be ready by late next week.