HS Trip Document

8/8/2019 HS Trip Document

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HSSTUDY TRIHS=Harmonious SedanIn harmony with the earth and humanity


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This is a journal o inormation,thoughts, and observations rom myLexus HS study trip. Everything hereis totally unsubstantiated or just my

personal opinions. Everythingcontained here should be act checkedand viewed with great skepticism. Tim


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Beauty requires relevance. What determines

products beauty is no longer just what it look

Its more than that; its the story o how it was

how well use it, and where it will go aterward

#1 CULTURE Summary: The HS is not a beautiul or graceul car in the sencome to expect rom Lexus, thereore the opportunity exists to help consumeHS through a new lense, one that measures beauty through dierent criteria.


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SEXY

TOMS Shoes or Tomorrow For every pair

o shoes you buy, TOMS will give a pair

to a child in need. This is part o a one

or one movement. The shoes are rather

shapeless, but their story is what makesthem ashionable.

UGLY


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The rst impression o the car was that it seemed average. In

pictures it seemed almost Corolla or Yaris-like (although less so

in person) It wasnt elegant or beautiul like other Lexus cars,

nor was it quirky enough like the Prius. It seemed solid, sub-

stantial and bigger than I imagined, elt like it t between the

IS and ES. I dont know i its because I wanted it to like it, but

the more I looked at it, the more I appreciated the subtle de-

tails. I was jokingly reerring to it as low impact design, but ina sense there is a purposeul modesty about it that somehow

works. As opposed to the LS, RX and GS, which hide their hy-

bridness, this car celebrates the notion o restraint.

Weve become so used to Lexus cars being beautiul, ele

and ast looking, but in a way thats a traditional measure o

ty and desirability. Maybe its what the designers had in m

this car seems to eschew a lot o those vanity totems or a

ent type o desirability. Maybe this dierent expression is a

embracing changing values, where less is more, where w

sume as little space and as ew resources as possible. In

o how we present the car, we can make it look nice, whicdone a credible job with on the fyer photography. Howeve

head-to-head beauty contest I think the car will come up s

against competitors like the C-Class, 3-Series, A4 and TS


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Lexus sees the grille as a high-tech and aerodynamic expression. We askedi this was a uture design cue and they said possibly or hybrid only.

The ront angle is one o the best

and distinctive in my opinion. The

ront corners seem pushed out

which lends some attitude. Alsothese corners are aerodynamically

signicant and the designers called

them gullwings.In person the grille

looks pretty good and eels well in-

tegrated. The LED headlamps are

another distinctive ront end eature.

Theyre sort o jewel-like and seemupscale Lexus appropriate.


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Two interesting things about the profle: One is the cab-

orward design which is apparent, but not radical looking.The designers wanted to keep a traditional 3-box sedan

design, eeling it was Lexus appropriate. The cab-orward

design was possible because the hybrid-specifc brie al-

lowed them to place the components where they wanted

and with a smaller drivetrain up ront, it allow them to

move the cab orward. Overall designing a hybrid-specifc

vehicle allowed them to optimize the whole package (more

trunk space, interior space, etc)

The other noticeable thing is the ront quarter-window

which is there or enhanced visibility and to my eye, is a

distinctive eature. It looks a little odd and not everyone

liked it, but I thought it was at least distinctive. It seemed to

be a design cue rom a crossover vehicle, but it is some-

thing dierent in an otherwise very bland profle.

Note: We saw the car without the aero kit and it wasnt as bad as I had thought, bur everything we shoot shouldhave it. It just looks less wimpy, and the 18 wheels make it eel more solid and connected to the ground.


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Undercarriage aerodynamicn

In testing the rear angle didnt do so well, but I rea

liked it. I like the way (in 3/4 rear) the A-pillar owinto the front fender. The rear taillights are incredi

detailed and jewel-like and they also protrude outfrom the body which looks cool, but then they star

pronounced shoulder/character-line which runs th

length of the car.

The Head Designer was very proud of an aerody

namic n on the rear of the undercarriage. Its pupose is to help stability in high-speed cornering.

One cool thing I learned was that contrary to po

ular automotive design practice, there is no visib

exhaust or tailpipe. Whereas the ISF is all about

performance and it telegraphs it audibly and visu

ally through it tailpipes, the HS is quiet and visualde-emphasizes its emissions.


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Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic


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ANGST

CONFIDENCEOur belies drive our behavior and how we

percieve beauty. Rather than seeking to

be a part o a cult, individuals value their

uniqueness and sel-reliance. The individual

knows whats appealing. What determines a

products beauty is no longer what it lookslike. Its more than that; its the story o how

it was made, how well use it, and where it

will go aterward.

#2 THE INDIVIDUALSummary: Because the HS is not traditionally beautiul, this a possibility to capitalize on its modesty as a new expression o conscientiousluxury - correct or our times. This aesthetic or idea may be a badge that will appeto individuals wishing to be seen as understanding or responsive to societal, eco-nomic and envronmental realities.


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Approximately two-thirds o those polled considered the state othe economy even more important than protecting the environment.

Nonetheless, a whopping three-ourths o respondents (73 percentin the U.S., 79 percent in the U.K.) say they will maintain or increasetheir level o spending on green products in the coming year. Why?To minimize their own environmental ootprints. This behavior refectsthe growing belie that individuals rather than corporations or gov-ernments have the most impact on the environment. Consumersincreasingly view the environment as a personal issue rather than anabstract one, and their ocus seems to be shiting rom larger con-cepts, such as climate change, to things they can infuence directly intheir daily lives, such as waste disposal and energy consumption. -Landor, Image Power Green Brands Survey


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One o the most interesting HS

stories (maybe thestory) is the

holistic approach Lexus took to thevehicle lie cycle. 33% less CO2

over the lie o the vehicle. This

takes the production o raw mate-rials, vehicle manuacture, use,

maintenance and nally disposal. CO2lie cycle


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Upholstery parts, a Lexus worlds frst

Luggage trim

Injection molded parts, a Lexus frst

Cowl side trim

Door scu plate

Toolbox

Floor nish plate

Foam parts, a Lexus frst

Seat cushions

Board parts

Package tray


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The HS will be the rstLexus to have the new

telematics system,

Enorm. One cool eature

is that you can build your

own menus and

input destinations viayour home computer.


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3 Driving

ModesPower

ECO

Electric

The ECO Mode switch allows the driver tochoose between three driving modes: Eco,

Power and EV. From what I understand it

works by limiting max acceleration and it

helps the driver to achieve the best eciency.

While in the Eco position the system

adjusts the air conditioning system or best

eciency - or example the system is shutdown during hard acceleration. The EV mode

is electric only or stealthy late night garage

parking, good or 15 minutes.


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The ECO Driving Indicator helps the driver

adjust their driving style to achieve the best

uel economy or every driving situation.

This is done through a series o progressive

indicator lights on the dash that ultimately

show the driving sweet spot. It seems that

hybrid uel economy is particularly susceptible

to driving styles, so this indicator ishelpul to help achieve the best mileage.


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IN-SIDE

OUT The notion that orm ollows unction is wellknown, but where it becomes particularly

interesting is when the unction expresses an

idea that resonates with people.

T H E C O R E

D E T E R M I N E S

T H E S H E L L


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The hybrid story

should be a holis-tic one that starts

rom the inside, [the

heart] and transorm

the outer shell, [the

healthy body]- William Chergosky, Calty Design Research, Inc.


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They talked a lot about how aerody-

namically ecient the car is which

enhances quietness, stability and uel

economy. The drag coeent number

o 27 is one o the best and the same

as C-Class and 3-Series with the one

car better being the Prius.


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In response to the question o what generation orplatorm is this car based on. They said they dontlike to reer to them a Gen-8 or whatever, becausethe technology is evolving so ast it makes that

naming convention obsolete. From some o thedocuments it seems that the HS dna is closest tothe Camry Hybrid.


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On the HS there was a considerable

eort to maximize visibility, both to the

road and to instruments and controls.

The A-pillar was as thin as possible

and a small ront quarter window was

added. The position o the screen and

Haptic device were positioned tominimize the need to take eyes o the

road. Also key controls and instruments

were careully positioned according to

requency and priority o use.


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Underside o the HS is fattened and

optimized or ecient airfow.


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The proportion o a solutio

needs to balance with its

problem: We need hybrid

technology and desire lux

vehicles. The study o tech

niques and materials is the

rst step in dening themodern sense o beauty.

#5 SoLUTIoNS IN bALANCE Summary: The HS is just as beautiul or whisnt as what it is. It oers a vision o luxury that is exactly right - no more, no less thaneeds to be. Through innovation it delivers big technology and luxury in a small pac


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The HS has the Haptic device as an option (like the RX)

and they were calling it Remote Touch. The development

o this interace was apparently long and rigourous, shown

above are some o the many devices they went thru to get

the right human interaction.

The other really cool thing we ound out is that this will be

the rst car to have the new Telematics system. It is a signicant step orward rom Lexus Link and has many cool new

eatures; or example, you can create your own menus and

input destinations remotely rom your home computer.


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Much was made o giving the car a

premium eel that would be surprising or

a car o this size and type. Engineers

said particular attention was paid to

giving the steering a solid, direct eel and

the cornering a fat attitude. Also, they

went to great lengths to minimize roadand engine noise to achieve quietness

betting a Lexus.


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The cars we saw did not have any grain on the suraces

so it was hard to determine how t and quality o nish

will look. The overall impression is that its roomy. When

you rst enter the car the rst thing you see is that big,

cascading center console, which is cool and makes

sense with the Haptic, but when equipped without it

doesnt seem to have purpose. In any case it is the most

distinctive eature o the interior and is a distinguish-ing eature. The Haptic setup elt comortable and user

riendly - the armrest is adjustable to allow driver to posi-

tion arm or Haptic. The leather we saw had a wavy em-

bossed pattern which I think is what well get.


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Head-up Display eatures dot type

LCD display and concave mirror or

high contrast or ease o ocusing.


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Lane-Keeping Assist

Lane Departure Warning

(LDW) sounds an audible

alarm and warning lights

when it senses the vehicle

driting out o lanes. Sec-

ondly, the Lane-KeepingAssist (LKA) uses the elec-

tronic steering to gently

correct course.


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Lexus Smart Beam headlights

automatically dim down rom

high-beams when another vehicle

is approaching rom the

opposite direction.


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HSLUXURY

Even today we see men and women denying themselves necessaries to acquire

mere trifes, to obtain some particular gratication, or some intellectual or mate-

rial enjoyment. A Christian or an ascetic may disapprove o these desires or

luxury; but it is precisely these trifes that break the monotony o existence and

make it agreeable. Would lie, with all its inevitable sorrows, be worth living, i

besides daily work man could never obtain a single pleasure according to his

individual tastes? - The Conquest Of Bread,1906, by P. Kropotkin

Telematics (Lexus Inform), Pre-Col-

lision System, Lane Keep Assist, Dy-

namic Cruise-Control, Heads-up

Display, Integrated XM Sat and Blu-etooth, iPod USB, Voice Activation

Navigation, Voicebox system, Remot

Touch, Smart Access / Memory Call

Standard 10-speaker Audio w/6 discchanger, LED Headlamps, Wide Vie

Front Monitor and Rear View Moni-

tor, Smart Beam Headlamps, Ventila

ed and Heated seats, Intuitive ParkinAssist, Hand-Sanded Finish


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Two things o note on the HS seats. There is aheating element that is more widely distributed and

the temperature varies depending on location andhow the body senses it. As with other Lexus cars

the HS can be had with ventilated seats which nowreduced surace temps aster.


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One o the advantages to a purposedesigned hybrid is that the designers are

able better integrate the batteries without

sacricing cabin or trunk space. Trunk

was designed with a wide opening to

accommodate large objects and the

space is best in its class.


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Front Pre-Collision Systemwith driver monitor

& Dynamic Cruise Control


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A oam material was injected

into most o the pillars and cavi-ties to create a quieter structure.

In order to maximize bothsound insulation and reducedweight, a sprayed-on sounddampening process was de-vised that varies the thick-

ness o the applied materialdepending on what is need ina particular area. This insuresthe right amount is used, nomore, no less.


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Rear View Monitor Wide-Front View Monitor(like the LX)


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12

The Memory Call system recognizes

two dierent drivers and automatically

adjusts seats, mirrors and climate

control settings


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The End


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Documents

HS Trip Document