And The Winners Are…
Sister brands Toyota and Lexus received a record-breaking number of awards in 2019. The bumper honours haul reflects the quality of their model ranges – both new and established – the service provided to customers and the talents of the people working throughout the business, from their workshops and showrooms across the country to their national headquarters.
The independent approval given to the quality of the products and services provided to customers and to Toyota’s wider commitment to safeguarding the environment adds weight to the company’s global focus on building ever-better cars and working to provide everyone with the freedom of mobility. Its transition from traditional vehicle manufacturer to a mobility provider and enabler will be in sharp focus next year, as new projects and technologies are revealed and Toyota continues to fulfil its role as the official mobility partner to Olympic and Paralympic Games at Tokyo 2020.
Toyota
Toyota’s trophies rewarded its new models, with the British-built Corolla hailed as a “game-changer” and the GR Supra named the best driver’s car. Prius was car of the year in Auto Express’s Driver Power survey, while Yaris posted a flawless 100 per cent reliability survey score. Consumer champions Which? gave Toyota cars no fewer than 12 “best buy” recommendations.
Quality across the board earned the brand best manufacturer and best 4×4 manufacturer titles, while there were further honours for the new Toyota Professional range of LCVs. Toyota’s leadership in hybrid and its commitment as a global business to reduce the environmental impact of its operations brought further awards, including a green fleet manufacturer of the year title.
At the head of Toyota GB, Paul Van der Burgh, President and Managing Director, was honoured by Autocar as an “Outstanding Leader,” while Paula Cooper, director of the company’s ConsumerOne function, was the Inspiring Automotive Woman of the Year.
Toyota has another busy period of new product launches in the coming year and beyond. Models already announced include the all-new Yaris and the rally-inspired GR Yaris, the second generation of the hydrogen-fuelled Mirai saloon, the Proace City compact van and a plug-in hybrid version of the RAV4 SUV.
Details of all Toyota’s 2019 awards can be found in this feature on the Toyota UK blog.
Lexus
More than 20 awards added to Lexus’s unprecedented success in 2019, the 30th anniversary of the founding of the brand. Annual UK sales reached a record high of more than 15,000 units, several weeks before the end of the year, and a series of new models reached showrooms, including the new UX compact SUV, ES saloon and revised RX and RX L luxury SUVs.
As in previous years, Lexus’s customer service has been rated the best in the automotive industry, while the reliability of its products has also been to the fore. Notably, the CT luxury hatchback posted a perfect 100 per cent score in the What Car? reliability survey, helping Lexus claim the title of most reliable manufacturer.
Which? added its approval, rating Lexus as the most reliable, most trusted and best car brand in the country, while in the Driver Power survey Lexus topped the best dealership rankings for a third successive year, while its models collected seven individual awards.
In 2020, Lexus will consolidate its luxury market-leading range of self-charging hybrid models and also launch a convertible version of its LC 500 flagship coupe. Its first battery-electric vehicle will also be introduced, the UX 300e.
More information about Lexus’s awards success in 2019 is available here.
ENDS
