Lexus

Toyota officially formed its luxury division in 1989 to target premium markets beyond Japan, though its first model launched the same year – the LS400 limo – was six years (and US$5 billion) in the making. The investment, however, yielded a car of such outstanding refinement that it stunned BMW and Mercedes-Benz out of a period of complacency. The line-up expanded in the ’90s with the SC sports car, GS sedan, and the RX SUV that would enjoy huge success in the US and in 2005 become the world’s first luxury SUV hybrid in 400h form. The 1999 IS200 gave the brand credibility in Europe as a viable alternative to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class. The IS-F of 2008 became the brand’s first dedicated high-performance model, with its most ambitious model since the original LS coming two years later in the shape of the V10-powered LFA supercar. The CT200h hatch (2010) and NX SUV (2014) took the brand into downsized segments to continue its quest to challenge Europe’s premium manufacturers.