Lexus Singapore digitalises the buying experience further with its virtual showroom and E-Boutique

SINGAPORE — Lexus Singapore debuted two new features that bolster its virtual presence over the weekend: A new virtual showroom and its online buying portal, what it dubs the Lexus E-Boutique.

COVID-19 has kicked conventional retail businesses screaming into the digital world, but it’s no surprise that car brands have mostly run through that door (if they didn’t already) of their own volition.

The virtual showroom (VS) is ample proof of that – it’ll let you do everything you can in the real showroom except kick the tyres, drink the coffee, or feel the leather.

Like most virtual tours online, you can use your mouse to navigate the virtual space (like being the little yellow dude in Google Maps) – beginning at the front desk, just like in real life, and moving on to the section of your choice.

However it does go deeper than merely a tour – each model is on display at the VS and you can click on interactive touch points which will deliver information and facts about the car in question. You can even view it in Virtual Reality, provided you have an Oculus Go or similar headset.

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While all of this is supposed to inform and entertain customers without them having to come down to the showroom ever, we think it might make you want to visit even more. Lexus is a brand that puts a premium on the whole experience (sight, smell, touch, sound), but the VS only caters to one (sight).

For instance, you can even view the Lexus Crafted Coffee Bar, but obviously sitting at home with a bag of Kopi-C doesn’t have quite the same effect as sipping some fine Nicaraguan in the ambience of the Lexus showroom.

Check out the virtual showroom here. While you’re at the brand’s website you can also book a test drive with the car of your choice (sent to your doorstep, no less), and have your queries answered by a real human with the new online chat feature.

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Meanwhile, the E-Boutique is the online portal for purchasing a Lexus – it’s a separate site from the main brand website (although the VS is also present). If the main website is where you decide to find out more about which Lexus you like, then the E-Boutique is where you initiate the  buying process proper by looking at colours, options, and putting down a S$500 deposit, whereupon a sales consultant will contact you to settle all the finance and the details.

And if COVID vigilance has you worried, you can also choose three different delivery options: Remote delivery to your place, a half-hour truncated delivery at the showroom with what Lexus says includes ‘minimal physical contact’, or the usual full one-hour delivery at the showroom delivery bay. 

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