Despite the previously noted downward trend of the European car market, it seems it’s now finally becoming a thing of the past. More than a couple of automakers have announced rising sales and a more positive outlook than what they had previously envisioned. Lexus is boasting sales that are 25.4 percent better (24,586 units in total) in the first six months of 2014 than in the same period last year – it’s now the continent’s fastest growing premium brand.

The Japanese brand’s top seller from January to June 2014 is the new IS, though even the flagship LS managed to score 265 sales, and these numbers don’t include sales of the promising new NX crossover, because it’s yet to go on sale. It will probably be responsible for an even sharper increase in the manufacturer’s sales figures once it reaches showrooms.

The top performing IS, meanwhile, sold 6,923 examples, of which a large part (5,366 units) was the hybrid IS300h model.

It will be interesting to see just how big of an additional spike in sales the new NX will create. Alain Uyttenhoven, Vice President of Lexus Europe, explained that they “are currently in the pre- launch phase for the brand new Lexus NX in the fourth quarter of this year,” and “on track to exceed our target of 50,000 Lexus sales in 2014.”