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When it comes to vehicles, one that holds a special place in my heart is the LC 500 by Lexus. Renowned for being exceptionally comfortable, luxurious, and featuring a delightful primal roar in its gas-only version. Recently, I had the exhilarating experience of pushing a new LC 500 convertible to 100 mph on the track at Eagle’s Canyon Raceway, located north of Dallas. Throughout the ride, an unshakeable grin adorned my face. Despite these outstanding qualities, the one persistent issue that has plagued Lexus vehicles for quite some time is the universally disliked touchpad.
News has recently emerged that Lexus has decided to bid adieu to the Remote Touch and touchpad systems in favor of a cutting-edge new interface. This innovative system heavily emphasizes voice commands and touch screen functionalities, with the added benefit of receiving 100% cloud-based updates on the go. The unveiling of this new system has been a long time coming, possibly even more protracted than one might anticipate. Unsurprisingly, the journey toward this transformation has been anything but smooth.
Corey Proffitt/Toyota
A determined squad within Toyota first proposed the concept of this new system back in 2017, spearheaded by two resilient employees from Toyota Motors North America: Vice President of the Connected Technologies Group, Steve Basra, and Senior UX Designer and Chief Engineer for North America, Daniel Hall. While one might assume that modernizing Lexus vehicles with the latest user interface technology would be a straightforward decision, the reality is that significant cultural disparities exist in the utilization of the previous interface between Japan and the United States.
The discrepancy primarily stems from the use of kanji, the characters integral to the Japanese writing system. In Japan, Lexus drivers have developed an affinity for the Remote Touch feature due to its suitability for their requirements. Basra noted that Japanese drivers possess a higher level of patience, which means they were less perturbed by the occasional awkwardness in navigating the previous technology. Conversely, the situation is markedly different in the United States. Consequently, when Basra and Hall introduced the proposition of a novel interface, executives at Lexus Japan initially approved the undertaking as a North America-exclusive venture.
Lexus
The eventual transition commenced with conclusive data derived from customer feedback, as revealed by Hall shortly after joining Toyota in 2017.
“Within two weeks of starting my tenure, I encountered a session where customers expressed dissatisfaction with the touchpad,” Hall recounted during an interview held at Toyota’s North American headquarters in Plano, Texas. “It dawned on me that we were receiving this critical customer information belatedly. We needed to adopt a data-centric approach and establish a new model for tech development based on insights from our customers as well as those who drive competing brands.”
The outdated and despised Lexus trackpad, Patrick George
Following this realization, the Toyota Connected team dedicated roughly 2000 hours to conducting individual customer trials. Hall observed a bias in responses when internal assessments were conducted, surmising that respondents may have been hesitant to provide candid feedback to avoid causing offense, hence inflating the scores for the Remote Touch and touchpad interfaces. However, external surveys involving customers and staff worldwide uncovered a more accurate evaluation.
Delighted with this development, Hall and the team sensed progress.
Commencing the project proved to be the most significant hurdle, according to him. When he and Basra delivered their pitch to the top management, they unequivocally stated, “This is paramount.” By then, the development phase was already trailing behind; the hardware and software framework had been firmly established. Implementing this change would incur substantial cost, and looking back, Basra now recognizes the audacity of their proposition.
“Our organization had multiple factions dedicated to connectivity and technology, and my concept was to unite all these factions,” he explains. “Usually, decisions like these take years. This was resolved within a week.”
Basra compiled a presentation and showcased it to the CEO of TMNA, Jim Lentz, who, after reviewing it, suggested sharing it with the executive council.
“During the meeting, Jim inquired, ‘Does anyone dissent that this is imperative?’ Silence ensued,” Basra recollects.
In North America, the executives not only approved and supported the initiative but also allocated an initial budget of $300,000 for its development. This marked the onset of substantial progress as a considerable number of staff members agreed to relocate from Michigan to Plano. Hall commenced bi-directional trips to Japan to collaborate directly with the Japanese team, leading to the realization that a temporary move there was necessary to oversee the operations.
These efforts, along with the unwavering support of the North American executive team, made a notable impact. Hall mentions that numerous discussions posed challenges and unanimity was not prevalent throughout the process. Some individuals and teams were resistant to the endeavors of Hall and Basra’s team. Nevertheless, the persistent determination of the Resilient Team That Could played a pivotal role in crafting the innovative Lexus interface.
“When armed with facts and data and possessing the persistence to adhere to your convictions, it might necessitate twenty discussions,” Basra remarks. “Gaining that caliber of commitment is invaluable. Continued efforts in twenty meetings can be disheartening, but I view it as a challenge.”
One driving force for Hall is the strong sense of responsibility he holds towards both the existing and prospective clientele of the company. He emphasizes that the organizational hurdles faced by Toyota do not translate into the challenges faced by its customers.
“We bear a substantial duty to society to ensure that our design practices are responsible,” Hall asserts. “While companies often discourse on how they will revolutionize the world, we are in the process of actualizing it. Our aim is to enhance the lives of as many individuals as possible and leave our designer egos aside.”
The new Lexus Interface will be accessible upon the launch of the NX model in the final quarter of 2021; Toyota’s fresh multimedia setup will also be introduced concurrently. Subsequently, it will be extended across the entire vehicle range.
Have a lead? Drop a message to the author: kristin.shaw@thedrive.com
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