The new dealership is located in Maslak in Istanbul, with showrooms planned in other major cities, such as Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Antalya and Adana and backed up by a network of nearly 60 service points across the country.

Lexus added that it expects to sell 250 vehicles in Turkey in the inaugural year, and 1,000 within five years. Models on sale will include RX, NX, GS, RC, IS and LS.

Ali Haydar Bozkurt, president and CEO of Toyota Turkey Marketing and Sales, said: “We were impatiently waiting for this day to come! Our president Akio Toyoda said that the ultimate goal of Lexus is not to produce cars, but to produce a work of art, and every Lexus model sold today is a proof of this idea. Lexus is not just a luxury car brand, it is actually a way of life. Lexus will help redefine what luxury means in Turkey and will give premium segment customers the experience that they deserve. Lexus is the new definition of luxury.”

Head of Lexus Europe, Alain Uyttenhoven said: “We expect the Turkish automotive premium market to grow from about 80,000 units in 2015 to more than 100,000 units in the near future. This puts Turkey in the top 7 in Europe. We are therefore extremely happy to launch Lexus in this strategic emerging market, together with our partner, Toyota Turkey Marketing and Sales.”