There has undoubtedly been a huge amount of focus from online keyboardists and magazine scribblers on Toyota’s ongoing plug-in position. The release of the world’s biggest carmaker’s first dedicated EV platform, seen already in the recently tested RZ 450e and soon to come via the Toyota BZ4x, has made more headlines than just about anything else the brand has done this year.
But I don’t really want to talk about the RZ 450e in this story. Instead, I’m going to talk about a car (two cars, actually) that seemed to slip into the country with little more than a peep. And that’s the new Lexus RX.
Whilst everyone credits the Germans for cooking up the luxury monocoque SUV segment in the late 1990s, it’s easy to forget that Lexus was right there at ground zero at the end of 1997 with the very first RX. Now into its fifth generation, the RX is the backbone of the Lexus line-up as the brand’s most popular SUV.
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The RX 500h boasts slightly more aggressive bodywork, more power, and a trick all-wheel drive system.
We recently grabbed the keys to two RX trims situated at opposing ends of the line-up; the entry level $124,600 RX 350h Premium and the top dog $149,800 RX 500h F Sport in (prices not including on-roads or Clean Car fees). The former was the jalopy of choice for a weekend trip to Whangarei, with the latter taking up duties around more familiar Auckland pavement a few weeks later.
Launched at the same time as the RZ, the RX is ‘the same, but different’ underneath. Whilst the electric RZ sits on the same e-TNGA platform as the aforementioned BZ4x, the RX is built on the sister architecture that underpins the Toyota RAV4 and Camry.
This upgrade is quite a big deal, given every RX before this one has utilised Toyota’s old K platform. And, even though it’s theoretically migrated to a ‘smaller’ platform, it has grown in every dimension – particularly the wheelbase.
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Angled towards the driver, the huge 14-inch touchscreen is easy to use.
Every model in the RX range gets a hybrid four-cylinder, the practicality of all-wheel drive, and a 2 tonne towing capacity. This 350h Premium gets a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder hybrid powertrain developing 184kW/239Nm (53kW/18Nm more than the RAV4’s 2.5-litre), paired to a CVT. Lexus’ boffins were able to squeeze another 77Nm out of the 2.5 for the mid-range RX 350h Limited.
The F Sport gets another unit entirely; a turbocharged 2.4-litre boasting 273kW/460Nm. It’s the first time an RX has featured forced induction, with Lexus claiming a 0–100kph time of 6.2 seconds.
It doesn’t stop at more horses, either. The RX 500h’s performance chops also extend to the addition of a proper 6-speed automatic, four-wheel steering, and Lexus’ clever Direct4 AWD e-Axle system – helping minimise unwanted pitch and acts as a torque vectoring system when you’re up for a spot of spirited driving. You get the feeling Lexus is wanting to broaden the RX’s appeal to include a younger audience.
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Calling all audiophiles ... The 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is one of the best money can buy, and is standard in all RX models except for the base.
Something I consider to be underrated about the RX, in either trim, is its looks. The curve that swoops up from the front of the side skirt to the top of the rear wheel gives it an athletic presence. The signature ‘spindle’ grille is less spindle-ish than most. In the right light, it’s a really attractive thing.
Lexus has also done a lot of good inside, too. The huge 14-inch touchscreen is both integrated well, positioned right up next to the steering wheel and angled towards the driver to make it easier to use. The boot holds a credible 612L with the seats up. The new software can occasionally be a little fiddly with its menus but is ultimately a solid improvement on old. That wretched ‘trackpad’ that has blighted many a Lexus has been binned.
There’s less of the charming oddities that were standard fare for a while there in all Lexus models, but nevertheless, the RX’s interior is impeccably pieced together. Incredibly quiet, crammed with supple and clean materials, with a few neat touches like the little round screens in the air con dials showing temperature. The screen may be big, but Lexus has still made sure to chuck plenty of tactile physical buttons in choice locations.
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The boot offers 612L of luggage capacity with the seats up and 1687L with the seats down. A generous space, but you’ll be able to fit more in a Volvo XC90.
If there’s a critique to be made, it’s that this base RX 350h can feel a little bit bare for features. The front seats, while heated and electric, have no memory functions and aren’t ventilated, and there’s no wireless device charger.
Perhaps its biggest vice is its 12-speaker sound system, which is one of the most abrasive systems I’ve seen (heard?) in a premium car. But conversely, the 21-speaker, 22cm subwoofer Mark Levinson package in the RX 500h (standard in all models apart from the base 350) is quite possibly the best car audio sound system on the market.
Keep your Bowers & Wilkins 4D BMW stuff, your Burmesters and Bose … this is worth the price of admission.
Lexus has given the new RX a turbocharged engine and a special all-wheel drive system.
Given the enormous level of change under the skin, it should come as no surprise that the RX 500h is the most capable and quick RX yet. It struggles a little off the line, but once it’s rolling the 500 offers plenty of sizzle in its mid-range. It’s not an especially emotive engine, with an exhaust note that at times works against the RX’s luxury aesthetic.
It makes up for this in how smoothly it switches between its performance and hybrid hats. Lexus and Toyota are, of course, the hybrid masters. Even today, no other brand makes an electric-assisted petrol powertrain that operates as efficiently, and unsurprisingly, we came pretty close to matching its 7.2L/100km claims.
All of that 500-exclusive torque shift, e-Axle stuff works well too. Throw the top RX into a corner at speeds you’d ordinarily avoid in something this size, and you can feel it adjusting where power is being sent and managing body-roll in real time.
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Given the choice, we’d actually opt for the less powerful, more laid back RX 350h.
The RX 500h is capable of conjuring a bit of fun when you demand it, but maybe surprisingly it wasn’t my preference out of this pairing.
My enjoyment of these two RXs peaked not in the twisties, but instead during the more sedate stuff – the natural habitat of the RX. And quite simply, the smoother riding RX 350h does ‘cool and calm’ just a little better. Its 184kW never felt inadequate, while also being more economical to boot (again, we matched Lexus’ 6.0L/100km claim).
If it were me, I’d splurge a little extra for the mid-spec RX 350h Limited, schedule a cruisy road trip, and turn up that sublime sound system to 11.
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