Is Lexus’ premium price tag justified

The Lexus’ trio has recently launched in India with prices that have raised many an eyebrow (thanks to being CBU’s). We take a look at whether the premium price tag is really justified.

Let’s begin with the LX450d. You can look at it whichever way you want, but this is essentially a Land Cruiser in every way perceivable. So barring the intense styling on the Lexus, the five extra speakers and the rear-seat entertainment package, there’s not much else that differentiates the two. That’s, of course, other than the LX’s Rs 2.32 crore sticker price and the Rs 98 lakh difference between the two. But in the process, it leapfrogs cars like Merc’s GLS (Rs 83 lakh), the Audi Q7 (Rs 81 lakh), and Porsche’s Cayenne that ranges between Rs 1.04 and Rs 1.78 crore (all prices ex-showroom Delhi). We also noticed that it comes close to the Range Rover SDV8 LWB Autobiography that has a price tag of Rs 2.19 crore. Again, we can’t help but add that the LX450d silently falls into a void that also comprises of other exquisite machines like Merc’s G 63 AMG (Rs 2.18 crore). Now, that’s a lot of machinery, attitude and money.

Since we have your undivided attention now, let’s move on to the RX450 hybrid crossover. With two versions on sale, the RX450h Luxury and F-Sport ranges from Rs 1.07 crore and 1.09 crore (ex-showroom Delhi). Now to put things in perspective, you can get Merc’s GLE 450 AMG Coupe for Rs 90 lakh and the much larger GLS for even lesser money than that. BMW’s X6 xDrive40d, which retails for more at Rs 1.23 crore, and the Porsche Macan that’s priced at Rs 1.11 crore, share more or less the same territory. Then, you can also get your hands on Porsche’s Cayenne that starts at Rs 1.05 crore or even the Jaguar F-Pace R-Sport at Rs 1.18 crore. And if that wasn’t enough, you could settle for some American muscle like the Jeep Cherokee. Sure enough, we can see you gradually sift through these options based on the looks, perceived brand value and power output. But the question is, do you still see the RX450h hold its ground?

This brings us to the most affordable car in Lexus’ India fleet so far. And that’s because the Rs 55 lakh that the ES 300 hybrid sedan retails for is on par with the competition that consists of the Audi A6, BMW’s 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Jaguar’s XF, and the Volvo S90. However, the ES 300h is a competitive choice thanks to the comfort, features and the 300bhp plus output from its petrol motor. This sort of makes it a good option for the chauffeur driven or those who prefer to drive themselves. It goes without saying that this is why the ES 300h fares the best in Lexus’ India line-up and you can read more about it here.

Although the ES 300 hybrid requires a full comparison test to see if it can take the competition head-on, the same can’t be said for the LX and RX. These two aren’t value-for-money propositions, and seem to be fancy products for those buyers who prefer exclusivity over everything else. One never knows though. Since we’re travelling to Ooty, the Queen of hill stations, this week to drive these cars, we should have interesting things to bring back for you. Stay tuned to CarWale.