TOYOTA OFFERS PREVIEW OF NEW LEXUS LINEUP

Toyota City―Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION'S U.S. sales subsidiary, today gave members of the U.S. press a look at the company's new luxury car line, Lexus. Unveiled this morning at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California were the LS 400, a four-door luxury sedan mounting a powerful 4-liter, 32-valve V-8, and the ES 250, a sporty four-door executive sedan powered by a 2.5-liter, 24-valve V6.

The two models, both scheduled for launching in September 1989, represent Toyota's first step into the fast growing U.S. luxury car market. Toyota announced its new luxury division in August 1987.

Lexus will provide American consumers with three all new models, including the LS 400 and the ES 250 shown today. Plans call for a sports coupe to be added to the lineup in 1991.

Initial marketing of the new line will be carried out by some 100 carefully selected Lexus dealers in the top 50 U.S. luxury car markets. Many of the Lexus buyers are expected to be current Toyota owners looking to move upscale, with the new luxury line also competing against some of the top European makes sold in the U.S. Sales for the first full year are targeted at 75,000 units. With America's "baby boomers" entering their peak income earning years, the U.S. luxury car market is projected to continue to expand in the future.

The LS 400 and the ES 250 will make their public debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles.