Lexus Umhlanga embraces a new design philosophy that radiates modern style, welcoming warmth and premium quality, underscored by even more enhanced customer service and care. The new dealership is part of the Sean McCarthy Group (SMG) which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

“Harmonising the iconic hospitality of Lexus with impeccably stylish new premises is essential to ensure the expectations of loyal existing and new customers are exceeded. To ensure Lexus’s customer service and care standards are upheld, the brand is committed to continually reset purchasing and ownership standards while enhancing its position as a leading luxury lifestyle brand," says Glenn Crompton (Vice President for Marketing at Lexus SA).

The new look is encased by luxuriously sleek brown, white and black tones across its broad exterior, with expansive glass that delivers roadside presence and enlivens the warm tones of an interior crafted with sleek wood, beautiful décor, lighting and textures.

Each exquisite touchpoint is designed to reflect a modern approach to Lexus's Japanese hospitality, where highly trained employees embody the principles of Omotenashi – anticipating the needs and desires of guests.

The same approach will be rolled out to the Western Cape and Gauteng areas, bringing the Lexus brand to the people with four flagship dealerships. Each city from the three provinces will, in essence, have its own new Lexus centre. The Umhlanga dealership kicks off the roll-out while Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria will come to fruition later this year.

The state-of-the-art facilities will bring a stellar new purchasing and ownership experience to customers. The brand aims to offer customers a more premium and exclusive experience the minute they walk through the dealership doors. With the bigger and more experiential dealerships, there will be more product options available for customers to test drive and at the same time get some exposure to brand values during their visit.

Warren Demmer from Sean McCarthy Group (SMG) Lexus says: "We are thrilled to unveil the newly designed Lexus Umhlanga dealership, which represents a significant milestone for SMG and for the Lexus brand in KZN.

“Our vision was to create the ultimate experience centre that not only showcases the exquisite Lexus line-up but also delivers a warm and welcoming environment inspired by Japanese craft. Leveraging SMG's extensive expertise in the premium segment and combining it with the prestigious Lexus brand, we are committed to providing our customers with a personalised and memorable journey,” he says.

Sean McCarthy from SMG says they are excited to see the vision come to life with the new Lexus Umhlanga dealership and they are immensely proud of the team involved. “With SMG celebrating its 20th year of delivering exceptional experiences and services to customers across South Africa, we continue to strive for excellence. We look forward to making it more enjoyable and memorable for every customer who walks through our doors.”

Customers can look forward to a more exciting product line-up, especially with the recent launches in the crossover segment with NX, RX and LX. Another product is the brand’s RZ battery electric vehicle, which demonstrates the next chapter of the Lexus Electrified Vision. The RZ is expected to launch in South Africa in 2024, exact timing will be confirmed.