07.01.08 LEXUS SETS ALL TIME SALES RECORD IN AUSTRALIA

Lexus Australia has recorded its best year of sales since the marque was launched almost 18 years ago, selling 8,199 vehicles in the 12 months of 2007.

According to official VFACTS figures released today, Lexus Australia broke its previous sales record of 7,162 vehicles set in 2006 by 1,037 units - an increase of 14.5 per cent.

Lexus performance hybrid vehicle sales also grew by 155 per cent for the calendar year, with a total of 981 hybrid vehicles sold in 2007.

Nationwide, the total hybrid market grew by 55 per cent for the year, spurred by the greater acceptance of hybrid technology and the increasing focus on environmentally friendly vehicles.

Lexus chief executive John Roca said that 2007 had been a fantastic year for Lexus.

"2007 saw Lexus really come into its own in Australia. We sold our thousandth performance hybrid, broke 11 monthly sales records, sold one thousand vehicles in a single month and introduced our flagship - the LS 600hL," he said.

"The biggest challenge Lexus faced in 2007 was that demand continually outstripped supply - particularly for our performance hybrid vehicles.

"Hybrid technology, particularly Lexus' performance hybrid technology, really gained momentum in 2007, with many manufacturers announcing their intention to follow Lexus' lead and introduce hybrid vehicles in the future.

"That said, Lexus will not stand still, and we will continue to focus on hybrid technology, developing, improving and refining performance hybrid vehicles alongside our conventional petrol engined vehicles.

"We are very excited about the year ahead and the introduction of further new models - including the GS 460, LX 570 and the IS-F," Mr Roca said.

Further details and figures relating to VFACTS can be obtained from http://www.fcai.com.au