Lexus elevates luxury driving

TOYOTA, Japan – Lexus is reaping the fruits of its Lexus Driving Signature (LDS), an all-new development standard that aims to make driving more intuitive, Lexus’ master craftsman Shuichi Ozaki told The STAR in an interview here.

LDS was introduced in 2020 and debuted on the 2021 Lexus IS as a new development standard and guiding philosophy. It has since been applied to every future Lexus model.

The LDS aims to provide Lexus users an “exceptional driving experience” that reflects a harmonious balance of luxury and performance – from greater body rigidity to suspension improvements and many other changes.

After nearly four years since Lexus unveiled the LDS, Ozaki said Lexus has been able to better position itself as a brand compared to the “old Lexus” which was sometimes hard to characterize.

“So the one thing that LDS has given us is that when you are driving a Lexus now, you could feel it. It’s hard to put into words, but I’m hoping that the customers themselves can determine on their own what the Lexus brand positioning is now and be able to feel it,” Ozaki said in an interview at Toyota’s newly built R&D facility, the Toyota Shimoyama Technical Center.

Lexus, the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automotive giant Toyota, welcomed visiting journalists from Asia, including The STAR to Toyota Shimoyama, where the group learned more about the LDS.

“At the heart of the LDS is the concept of a linear connection. Like the harmony in a symphony, the union of the driver and the vehicle enables a more predictable, confident and engaging experience. This linear operation of the steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal results in precise response and feedback – so car and driver act as a single unit,” Lexus said in a separate info sheet on the LDS.

The LDS, Ozaki said, is all about creating new value for customers.

Moving forward, Ozaki said Lexus would continue to create vehicles that will surpass expectations and surprise the customer.

Asked about what he expects customers to look for in future Lexus models, Ozaki anticipates customers wanting to find a more direct connection with the car and to be able to do more with their vehicles.

Toward this end, he said, Lexus would continue to study what customers want or may want in the future, guided by a Japanese philosophy that is ingrained in the Lexus DNA – omotenashi or anticipatory hospitality, which essentially means providing what the customers want even before they realize it.

As a master craftsman or Takumi, Ozaki is responsible for comprehensive vehicle performance evaluation at Lexus. He started his career working on the Lexus SC, then moved on to the Lexus models IS, GS, and LC.

In 2013, he received the title Takumi, where he was responsible for evaluating and tuning static and dynamic performance for all Lexus models.

During the interview, Ozaki said he especially has a deep emotional attachment to the Lexus IS, as many of his ideas were adopted into the vehicle, from vehicle packaging to detailed parts design like the aluminum scuff plate.

Lexus emerged as the leading premium car brand in the Philippines in 2023, with 1,843 units sold. This was higher than the second leading brand, BMW, which sold 1,144 units, according to a report by Statista.

The strong performance  was driven by clients’ preference for luxury compact vehicles, including SUVs such as the Lexus LM and Lexus RX, which have the LDS.

From January to August, Lexus Philippines has also maintained its lead in the premium car segment in terms of sales, according to industry data.