Lexus Australia says it will extend invitations to its Encore owner events to customers who have ordered a new vehicle from the brand but are facing wait times longer than five months.
Ordinarily, Lexus customers are enrolled into the Encore program when they take delivery of their new car, with membership of the elite club lasting three years from that date.
Lexus Australia ambassador Neil Perry
However, the brand will provide early entry into the Encore system for those facing “longer than expected delays”, the marque announced today.
“We are doing what we can to reward the patience of customers prepared to endure lengthy delays,” said Lexus Australia chief executive John Pappas, citing “unprecedented production cuts” as a source of long waits across the car industry.
“We are saying… ‘thank you for your understanding and loyalty and sticking with us while we do our best to deliver your Lexus as soon as we can,” Pappas wrote.
Some of the longest wait times are affecting the popular NX midsize SUV in hybrid formats
Encore perks have included recent dining experiences hosted by Nigella Lawson and Lexus Australia ambassador Neil Perry, plus a private concert featuring Australian blues musician Josh Teskey.
At the time of writing in January 2023, the longest wait times for new Lexus models in Australia are affecting the NX midsize SUV, especially in NX350h hybrid and NX450h+ plug-in hybrid guise.
Also affected is the sole Lexus battery-electric vehicle – the UX300e
Additionally, Lexus’s sole fully-electric model, the UX300e, was said to be badly affected by delays, with the hybrid and electric set often taking longer than 12 months to deliver after a customer places an order.
A higher tier of the Encore program, dubbed Encore Platinum, is bestowed on customers of Lexus’s flagship L-series models – the LS sedan, LC sports car and LX four-wheel drive – plus the NX450h+ PHEV and UX300e EV.
