The Lexus rises again

Kiyotaka Ise is leading the effort to redefine the Toyota luxury brand with “Lexus emotionality.”

The recently rechristened Lexus International, formerly Lexus Center, is more than a routine reorganization, with Lexus now enjoying more dedicated R&D resources, both in material and human variety. Perhaps more significant is the unwavering confidence and support bestowed by Toyota President Akio Toyoda, who in a recent media group interview remarked: “I should like to think of Lexus 60/40,” the smaller number in the ratio obviously referring to the brand that carries the nameplate deriving from his founding family.

“The 2013 Lexus GS marks Chapter Three of the Lexus Chronicle in the U.S.,” said Kiyotaka Ise, President of Lexus International. “In the brave entrepreneurial beginning of Chapter One was the LS. The pivotal model in Chapter Two was the RX, creating a new premium midsize crossover sports utility vehicle segment.”