The updated Lexus RX has been officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and confirmed South African availability by the middle of the year.
The Lexus RX 350 and Lexus RX 450 have been given new styling, a handful of new technologies and the range will be expanded to three specification levels: Luxury, Sport Luxrury and F Sport, replacing the outgoing Prestige and Sport variants.
A new front bumper, LED-infused headlights and a spindle grille mark the changes up front. In F Sport form, the RX gets a honeycomb mesh grille, a streamlined bumper design and larger five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels.
Interior changes are limited, but include new ebony bird’s-eye maple trim and optional saddle leather upholstery with contrast stitching on the seats, center console and armrests. F Sport models get a black and grey leather interior, upgraded front seats, alloy pedals and F Sport badging.
Beneath the bonnet, the RX 350 has a 3.5-litre V6 engine that develops 201 kW and 336 Nm of torque. It is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission which enables the crossover to accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds and hit an electronically limited top speed of 180 km/h. The RX 450h has a 3.5-litre V6 Atkinson-cycle engine, two electric motors and a 288-Volt Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery. This setup produces a combined maximum output of 220 kW, allows the model to run from 0 – 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 200 km/h. The hybrid RX 450h also gains a Sport mode to add to the ECO and EV driving modes.
