In 1990, during its first full year of sales, Lexus sold 63,594 LS 400 and ES 250 sedans in the U.S., the vast majority being the LS model. That year, Lexus also began limited exports to the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia.In 1991, Lexus launched its first sports coupe, the SC 400, which shared the LS 400’s V8 engine and rear-wheel drive design. This was followed by the second generation ES 300 sedan, which succeeded the ES 250 and became Lexus' top seller. At the conclusion of 1991, Lexus had become the top-selling luxury import in the U.S., with sales reaching a total of 71,206 vehicles. That year, Lexus ranked highest in J.D. Power and Associates' studies on initial vehicle quality, customer satisfaction, and sales satisfaction for the first time. The marque also began increasing U.S. model prices past those of comparable American luxury makes, but still below high-end European models; by 1992, the LS 400's base price had risen 18% to nearly US$45,000.
In 1993, Lexus launched the GS line, based on the Toyota Aristo, which had sold for two years prior in Japan. The GS 300 sports sedan was priced below the LS 400 in the marque's lineup. That same year, Lexus also became one of the first marques to debut a certified pre-owned program, with the aim of improving trade-in model values. In 1994, the marque introduced the second generation LS 400, a complete redesign of its flagship model. In May 1995, sales were threatened by the U.S. government's proposal of 100% tariffs on Japanese luxury cars in response to the widening U.S.-Japan trade deficit. SUVs were exempt from the proposed sanctions. Normal sales operations resumed by late 1995 when the Japanese auto manufacturers collectively agreed to greater American investments, and the tariffs were not enacted.
In 1996, Lexus debuted its first luxury sport utility vehicle, the LX 450. The marque's plans for developing an SUV model had accelerated during the U.S.-Japan tariff discussions of 1995. In 1998, Lexus added the first luxury crossover SUV, the RX 300, and the second generation GS 300 and GS 400 sedans. The RX crossover targeted suburban buyers who desired a luxury SUV but did not need the LX's off-road capability, and was particularly successful. By year's end, the RX 300 had become the marque's top-selling model, ahead of the ES 300. In 1999, Lexus recorded its one-millionth vehicle sold in the U.S. market, and was ranked the top-selling luxury automobile make in the U.S. overall.
From wikipedia
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