Lexus Presale Sans Pricing

EghtesadOnline: Irtoya, an unofficial dealership of Japan’s Toyota in Iran, has started presale of the recently launched Lexus crossover model without announcing the final price.

News ID: ۷۷۷۱۹۳

23 June 2017

The dealership launched presale of Lexus RX200t this week with the first down payment of 2 billion rials ($53,350), local auto website Asbe Bokhar reported.

The company did not reveal the final pricing or the options the model will be equipped with as the car has not arrived at the   country’s southern ports yet.

Financial Tribune pressed the company to reveal the final price, but was told “the exact price for the vehicle has not been finalized.”

This is while any presale in the Iranian auto market without specifying the final price and type of model is deemed illegal as per rules implemented last year.

Outside of Iran, all new RX200t prices start from $82,000 in the international market with options taking the cars price up to over $90,000.

In the absence of the final local price, with a 100% import tariff placed on the vehicle, it could reach above 6 billion rials ($160,000).

The model, introduced in 2016, shares its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with the NX small SUV and Six-speed automatic transmission, and takes the place of the previous naturally-aspirated RX 270.

The Rx200t is the second new Lexus to enter the local market, following the sale of the Lexus NX.

In a recent chart produced by Financial Tribune on the most popular crossover vehicles in Iran, the Japanese luxury car was in third place with 1,889 units in the first seven months of the Iranian year that ended in March 2016. The phenomenal initial sale of the model by Irtoya, despite its high prices, made Lexus one of the more popular crossovers last year.

The Iranian company was able to sell the first shipment of NX crossovers completely in a few hours through web advertising, according to its press release.

Lexus NX is priced at 2.95 billion rials ($84,000) in the local market and currently has an 8.5% share of the country’s imported SUV market.