Lexus Hailed as Britain's Best

Winner of the 2006 Motor Trader Car Franchise of the Year Award

LONDON - July 26, 2006: Lexus's pre-eminent position among prestige brands in the UK has been reinforced with the 2006 Motor Trader Car Franchise of the Year Award.

The award, sponsored by Mondial, is presented to the car maker or importer which has excelled in terms of producing new models, successfully marketing them and building close relationships with its dealer network. These factors make the brand a must-have franchise for dealers.

In bestowing the award on Lexus, the judges took into account the marque's impressive market performance, with increased sales volume every year since 2002, and a five per cent increase in year-on-year sales achieved in 2005.

This growth momentum has continued in 2006 with half-year figures showing an increase of more than 44 per cent on the previous year. This success has been driven by a series of new product launches that have transformed the Lexus model range, introducing a sophisticated and distinctive new style philosophy and pioneering alternative fuel systems in the premium segment with the hybrid power RX 400h and GS 450h.

The judges commented: "Lexus is consistently a top performer in the RMIF's National Franchised Dealer Surveys, where it is regularly acknowledged as a desirable and profitable brand among dealers. It has topped the J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction surveys for six consecutive years - not bad for a brand that has only been in the UK since 1990."

Steve Settle, Director of Lexus, collected the award at a ceremony hosted in London last week. He said: "We are delighted to have won this important industry award, it is a further acknowledgement of the continuing advances we are making in delivering top quality products and service through a network of sales centres that truly has no equal in the UK."