- Lexus luxury appeals to all the senses.
- Personalized luxury for every client.
- Colors, materials and finishes are key to the sensory experience.
- Givaudan, the fragrance that adds to the journey.
- Sonic excellence with Mark Levinson® .
Lexus’s approach to luxury isn’t defined by a single element. It’s about the total experience while inside the vehicle.
As drivers or passengers in a Lexus, everything we see, hear, touch, and even smell combines harmoniously to create a seamless multi-sensory environment.
What’s more, we can adjust the elements according to our mood or the type of trip we’re undertaking.
So, we can nourish our well-being with soothing lighting and relaxing sounds. Or we can liven up the journey with refreshing fragrances and fast-paced rhythms.
It involves attention to detail that requires craftsmanship, a deep understanding of human sensory perceptions, and the application of precision technologies.
Lexus designers and their expert collaborators are joining forces on a mission to push the boundaries of multi-sensory experiences, focusing on the latest trends, seeking sustainable solutions, and taking in-vehicle luxury to new heights.
PERSONALIZED LUXURY WITH THE LEXUS LBX
Lexus aims to “personalize luxury.” That means giving all owners more opportunities to express their individual style and values through their vehicle. This approach is spearheaded by the LBX, Lexus’s revolutionary new compact SUV.
It’s an authentic Lexus down to the smallest detail, but it opens the door to new interpretations of luxury, one that’s not just for getting around, but a place where you can live life with comfort, connection, satisfaction, and security.
That’s the message of Lexus’ new “ LIFE HAPPENS IN MY LBX ” campaign .
More than traditional luxury, the LBX offers today’s desire for a more casual and premium character.
This contemporary twist offers bolder color options inside and out, new upholstery, eye-catching details, and tactile finishes that are pleasing to the eye and the touch. However, the LBX remains a true Lexus in every detail, offering a more luxurious experience than you might expect for a vehicle of its size.
With the LBX, instead of adhering to the usual structure of finishes, we can choose between different ambiances, where different details harmonize to accompany different moods. Thus, you can choose between Elegant, Relax, Emotion, and Cool, each of which evokes a defined character through stylistic and sensorial characteristics.
COLOR, MATERIAL, FINISH: THE LOOK AND FEEL OF MODERN LUXURY.
The image of a car is the first thing we see, and that includes the interior accessories we interact with every time we drive. Therefore, color, material, and finish are crucial considerations for automotive designers.
The Lexus philosophy
Lexus design is governed by three fundamental principles:
- Omotenashi – the Japanese spirit of hospitality and service.
- Takumi – the finest craftsmanship, rooted in ancient traditions.
- Time – respect for Japanese heritage and tradition to create a valuable experience whenever we spend time in a vehicle.
“Time” is the foundation upon which the brand designs its products. It’s not just about creating beautiful products; it’s also about how people spend their time in Lexus cars.
Viviana Hohenstein, Lexus designer and CMF specialist, works at the European Design and Development Center in the south of France. She explains: “We want to offer significant value to our customers, society, and the planet. For us, sustainability goes beyond reducing CO2. It means respecting ‘time’ and preserving our heritage, while innovating our craftsmanship to create products that offer value and appeal to our customers . ”
Evolution of Lexus’s sensorial luxury
It started with the first Lexus. In 1989, the LS, the original Lexus limousine, introduced an authentic Japanese touch to luxury motoring. It combined the finest and softest leathers, rich wood trim, and soothing tones with a minimalist aesthetic.
The approach has evolved over time. Colors, materials, and finishes have been used to help give the cars a greater emotional quality and, more recently, a more restless touch, without losing sight of the essentially Japanese concept of luxury.
“We are immersed in an era of design that embraces colors, materials, and finishes, leveraging sensory experiences to create personalized and immersive luxury ,” says Viviana Hohenstein. “Today, the role of colors, materials, and finishes is not limited to visual and superficial aesthetics. Sound, touch, and smell are also important, appealing to all five human senses to optimize the user experience.”
Concept
The CMF design process is divided into two main areas: concept and execution.
In the concept phase , the mission and design narratives are defined, and then inspirations and research are explored.
In the execution phase , the different materials and colors to be used are tested in practice. Digital visualization software is also used, which then moves on to the development of the sensory design, before the actual physical design is created.
Execution
In the execution phase , Lexus brings CMF concepts to life through a structured, multi-sensory design process. It is during this phase that inspiration, research, and storytelling are translated into tangible materials, colors, and finishes that define the look and feel of each vehicle.
Innovation with tradition
Japanese textile traditions have evolved for over 1,200 years. Today, Lexus CMF designers explore how materials and techniques established over the centuries can be leveraged to create something new in contemporary design.
It’s another example of how Lexus applies its principle of Time to preserve its heritage, while also innovating its craftsmanship to create compelling products for today’s customers.
Bamboo: a sustainable option, rooted in culture
Bamboo has been a common part of everyday life in Japan for centuries, and has been used for many different purposes, from furniture and storage to tools and transportation.
Lexus has pioneered the use of bamboo in its automobiles as a versatile and sustainable material with a lower environmental impact. As a raw material, it can be transformed into a wide variety of materials, from leather and plastic alternatives to composites and textiles for carpets.
The use of bamboo contributes to the principle of circular design, while simultaneously offering responsible luxury. This can be clearly seen in many of Lexus’s latest prototypes, advanced automobiles, and production models. Promoting its use also reflects Lexus’ commitment to society and its desire to „give something back” to the Japanese communities that produce and harvest bamboo.
GIVAUDAN, A WORLD LEADER IN FRAGRANCES
Givaudan is a world leader in fragrances, beauty, taste, and well-being, making it an ideal partner to explore new sensorial experiences with Lexus.
Givaudan celebrates the beauty of the human experience, creating happier, healthier lives in harmony with nature. Its Fragrances and Beauty division develops fragrances to accompany lives and memories, and develops innovative beauty and wellness offerings so people around the world look and feel their best.
Inspired by over 250 years of creativity and innovation, nature is both Givaudan’s responsibility and its most precious muse. Givaudan is committed to sustainability and creating innovative products that meet consumer needs and anticipate their desires.
With a collaborative approach that promotes co-creation, Givaudan has built a diverse portfolio across personal care, fabric care, hygiene, home care, fragrance and beauty, reflecting its multidisciplinary expertise.
The power of smell
Smell is a crucial element in sensory experiences. It’s one of the first senses we develop after birth, and also one of the most sensitive.
We have approximately 20 million receptor neurons in our noses, which give us the ability to detect around 1 trillion different odors. Every day, our sense of smell triggers up to three-quarters of our emotional responses.
A creative alliance
With a shared commitment to craftsmanship, creativity, and passion, Givaudan and Lexus collaborate to create in-flight fragrance systems that can add a new dimension to every journey.
This alliance focuses on:
- Authenticity
- Sustainability
- Innovation
- Emotion
Givaudan has created a new blend of bamboo specifically for Lexus, which creates a signature element in five new fragrances developed for use in its upcoming cars.
It has been designed to express a unique fragrance that transports you to the environment of Japanese bamboo forests.
The use of bamboo as a natural product connects with Lexus’ broader use as a sustainable material with multiple potential applications, from vehicle interior finishes to textiles and alternatives to plastic and leather.
MARK LEVINSON: THE RECIPE FOR SOUND EXCELLENCE
The world’s most renowned chefs say that the best recipes are those that achieve the best balance between ingredients, flavors, and textures. This same concept can be applied to the best sound reproduction with prestigious audio equipment.
Partners for more than a quarter of a century
Mark Levinson® , part of HARMAN International Corporation, has been Lexus’ exclusive premium audio partner for more than 25 years. Today, all new Lexus models offer customers the option of enjoying exceptional in-car entertainment using custom systems tailored to the shape and dimensions of the vehicle’s interior.
In fact, Mark Levinson ® acoustic specialists work closely with Lexus designers and engineers from the earliest stages of new model development to ensure the best results are achieved.
And the result must be consistent, regardless of the style of music we prefer. Whether it’s the grandeur of a symphony, the intimacy of a jazz club, or the excitement of a major concert, Mark Levinson® systemsfor Lexus are designed to give the feeling of being at the center of the action.
Energy, balance and clarity
The LBX’s exceptionally quiet cabin provides the perfect setting for the new , custom-designed 13-speaker Mark Levinson® Premium Sound System, which incorporates a 22.4 cm subwoofer under the trunk floor.
This system, which uses Mark Levinson ® ‘s new Quantum Logic Surround technology with Clari-Fi, reproduces an accurate and energetic soundstage with a smooth balance of frequencies and maximum clarity and definition.
Gourmet flavors on the road, with Omotenashi on wheels
Lexus takes the principle of supreme hospitality Omotenashi beyond the automobile to create its unique take on food trucks .
The Omotenashi on Wheels offers gourmet culinary experiences presented by a sleek and elegant mobile kitchen. This is no ordinary vehicle. Measuring over six meters in length, weighing two tons, and finished in Lexus’s elegant black and copper combination, it is an innovative interpretation of the brand’s aesthetic DNA.
“We didn’t want a simple food truck. We were looking for a true masterpiece of automotive design, where every curve, texture, and finish speaks the Lexus language ,” explains the Lexus Europe design team.
The interior boasts all the attention to detail you’d expect from a Lexus luxury vehicle. Designed in collaboration with professional chefs, it features high-end stovetops, precision refrigerators, and ergonomic preparation stations. It can serve more than 50 people at a time.
In addition to being a highly functional space, it is finished with high-quality materials such as copper, wood, and ceramic, integrated into a countertop inspired by the signature Lexus grille.
One of the most distinctive elements of the interior is the lighting system, inspired by the „Iris” lamps, a creation by German designer Sebastian Scherer, winner of the Lexus Design Award in 2014.
Evoking the ephemeral beauty of soap bubbles, “Iris” is a blown glass sphere that, thanks to a complex dichronic treatment, emits iridescent reflections that change color depending on the viewing angle.
Its delicate structure, combined with an ultra-thin OLED module, transforms each unit into a suspended sculptural piece that transforms the space and provides a warm, enveloping light.
Meanwhile, you can also enjoy great sound, with a Mark Levinson® sound system that has been integrated into the interior of the food truck .
