Premium cars make their debut in Japan
Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Tokyo
Social status and prestige are an important consideration when buying a new car, apart from functionality.
Emerging markets in Asia -- driven by high economic growth in China and India -- are luring automotive producers to look into new markets in the continent.
Already-established markets such as Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore also continue to provide potential for the premium car segment.
For decades, German premium marques, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, were the main vehicle of choice for the rich.
That made Japanese auto producer Toyota Motor Corp. realize that it could not beat German carmakers in the United States -- the largest automotive market in the world, also considered as the auto trendsetter. Although Toyota sold well back in the 1980s, the business elite still preferred their Merc, BMW or Audi.
That marked the beginning of the Lexus. Toyota aimed to make a car that was fast but had low fuel consumption; elegant, with good aerodynamics and with a luxurious interior. After years of research, Toyota introduced the Lexus, which focused on the U.S premium car market, easily beating the German opposition.
Consumerreports.com even named two Lexus models -- the 2005 Lexus LS430 and the 2006 Lexus RX400h -- as, respectively, the best luxury sedan and mid-size sports utility vehicle this year.
Two decades have passed and Lexus is making a return to its homeland, Japan, at the recently concluded 39th Tokyo Motor Show, held from Oct. 22 through Nov. 6, at Makuhari Messe.
Toyota introduced the Lexus GS450h, a premium sedan fitted with a newly developed hybrid engine. The GS450h uses a new hybrid system especially designed for front-engine, rear-wheel drive layouts and is environmentally friendly.
Carrying a 3.5-liter V6 engine with D-4S (direct-injection four-stroke gasoline engine, superior version) fuel-injection system under its hood, the GS450h can run for 14 kilometers per liter of gasoline (based on Toyota test results).
The results also say that the car can accelerate from a standstill to 100 kilometers per hour (kph) in six seconds.
Lexus was not the only premium carmaker that had its preview at the motor show.
DaimlerChrysler, through its Mercedes-Benz flagship, showcased five cars -- including its top-of-the-range Maybach 57 S, which is the direct competitor for Britain's Rolls Royce Phantom.
The Mercedes-Benz S 600 Long -- which made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this year -- is a much-awaited premium car in Asia.
The S 600 Long has undergone a makeover from its previous generation, owing to its aerodynamic body, which boasts one of the lowest drag coefficients -- 0.26 -- in the luxury sedan class.
Although the car is categorized as a limousine, its engine has sports-car-like performance, thanks to its V12 engine that develops a maximum 517 horsepower and can accelerate from standstill to 100 kph in 4.6 seconds. The maximum torque has also been increased to 830 Newton-meter (Nm) at 1,900 rpm. Despite the engine's powerful performance, the car's fuel consumption stands at 14.3 liters per 100 kilometers.
Other types on display were the A 200 Turbo Avantgarde, the B 200 and the R 500 4Matic.
Mercedes-Benz's arch rival, Munich-based BMW AG, showcased five cars: the 130i M-Sport, 325i Touring, M6, Z4 Coupe Concept and Concept X3 Efficient Dynamics.
The 3-Series Touring made its Asia debut during the show. The fourth-generation car is longer by 42 millimeters, wider by 78mm and higher by 9mm. The 325i Touring has a six-cylinder, in-line power unit that produces 218 hp at 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 250Nm at between 2,750 rpm and 4,250 rpm. BMW claims its car can run at up to 243 kph and accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 7.2 seconds.
Another German carmaker, Audi AG, featured its topline S8 as well as the Q7, RS4 and A4 Cabriolet.
The S8 has a 10-cylinder, 5.2-liter engine that can produce a maximum output of 443 hp and 540 Nm maximum torque, which enables the car to catapult from stationary to 100 kph in 5.1 seconds.
Audi's Space Frame, used for the body of the S8, makes the car lighter without losing stability.
World automotive leader General Motor Corp. also brought two of its flagship Cadillacs, the BLS and the STS-V, while British- based Jaguar, currently controlled by U.S.-automaker Ford Motor Co., released its New XK.
Another British carmaker, Bentley Motor Ltd., displayed its Azure, which has a twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 457 hp.
Most of these cars will enter the Indonesian market via general importers -- as has become the practice nowadays -- or upon specific requests made by prospective buyers to the local units of the manufacturers concerned.
Nevertheless, most buyers will take a long, hard look at several factors -- luxury in terms of interior and ride, technological sophistication, engine and safety features, to name but a few -- before making that critical decision to go ahead and purchase.