First Drive: Refined new Lexus RX revs up

Cometh the recovery, cometh the cars. Timing is everything when you are launching a new car and for a premium brand such as Lexus, a vibrant economy is essential.

The launch of this fourth generation RX could not be timed better as the Irish economy gets back into its stride. The RX is a vital cog in the Lexus wheel, representing a third of all sales since the premium badge came into existence. While the LS is its flagship, the RX represented its defining car, the model that featured in the driveways of many middle-class homes across the developed world.

Lexus has always been in the sales shadow of its German rivals, but during the recession it got hit hard with both a flight from premium by financially strapped motorists and a bloody streetfight for volume sales between the likes of Audi and BMW. A fundamentalist attitude towards hybrid powertrains – forsaking diesel in most key models – did not help matters.

Now the premium-brand buyers are returning to the forecourts and Lexus is ready to tempt them with the latest addition to its range. Closely following the success of the recently launched mid-sized crossover NX, comes the new RX.

So what’s on offer? Well it is basically an evolution of the outgoing model, boasting sharper styling, a more efficient petrol-electric powertrain and improved equipment features.

First to the design, which is more radical than previous models, replete with edges and curves like someone has unfolded the SUV after a previous game of origami that left several creases still in the metal. It is a busy design, but one that works for us, though we have still to be won over by the imposing grille, particularly the honeycomb version on the F-Sport variants.

Emissions

The car is powered by the same combination of 3.5-litre petrol engine and nickel-hydride battery pack with electric motors putting out a combined output of 313bhp and a torque level of 335Nm. A combination of improvements to the engine and a better hybrid management system means emissions levels have dropped from 145g/km on the outgoing model to 120g/km for this new one. Fuel economy has also been improved, with an official fuel economy of 5.2 /100km (54.3mpg).

In our test we managed a less than stellar 10.1 l/100km (27.9mpg) over a mix of twisting rural roads and motorway driving, but more time on the city streets, and using active electric mode would undoubtedly improve that figure.

While there are various sport modes available – particularly in the higher level versions with adaptive variable suspension fitted – this is no sports SUV. The steering is light with a tendency to oversteer when pushed into tight bends, while the CVT automatic gearbox makes the engine sound pained when worked hard. Paddle shifts on the steering wheel are there more for affect than active driving influence. The total power output is impressive at 313bhp, particularly when you kick down on motorway stretches, but the torque of 335Nm can’t match the kick you get in any of the direct rival diesels.

Premium comfort

The truth is the RX’s natural habitat is a comfortable family cruiser, ideally suited to economical mile-munching motorway trips and the usual array of motoring duties that make up middle-class family life. It tackles these tasks with aplomb and an air of premium comfort, thanks to impressive engineering that abates the usual noise and vibration one might expect. Despite the undoubted marketing claims about performance potential, the RX is really about refinement rather than sport.

The new RX is perhaps guilty of omissions, however, not least the fact that while prices starting at €69,950 are competitively in line with rivals such as the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7, it lacks the seven-seat format of these cars. A Lexus spokesman said the firm was watching the market but believed many buyers in this segment did not actually use seven seats. That may be true, but that does not mean they do not like the option of having them just in case.

Similarly, the omission of a plug-in recharging capability for the hybrid system seems strange, given that Volvo’s XC90, Audi’s Q7 and BMW’s X5 all boast plug-in hybrid variants arriving in Ireland for 2016. Again, Lexus says it does not believe customers really want this technology and they would prefer to use their tried-and-trusted current hybrid powertrain system. And again they may be right, but when there is little difference in price between its established hybrid and the on-trend plug-in versions, customers may be lured by what they might regard as more advanced tech with the plug-in systems that offer greater full electric range.

A high level of standard features on the new RX450h includes leather, and a variety of safety features including adaptive cruise control, pre-crash braking, lane-keeping assist and road-sign recognition. Perhaps the most impressive feature is the large control screen the dominates the middle of the dashboard, sitting proudly like a full-sized tablet and capable of working as one impressively large screen for sat-nav or dividing into up to three separate elements.

Cornerstone

Three variants will be offered in Ireland when the car arrives: Executive at €69,650; Luxury at €76,450; and at the top either F-Sport at €83,950 or Premium at €86,250. Predictions are that the Luxury grade will make up 65 per cent of all sales. It boasts features such as 20-inch alloys, an automatic boot opening system and a 12-speaker system. Given the price walk up to the either F-Sport or Premium, it is a little hard to justify the extra spend over the Luxury trim.

The RX is a cornerstone of the Lexus strategy to rebuild its presence on Irish roads, already well under way with the arrival of the RX and upcoming models like the RC coupe and a revised GS.

The plan is that in the medium term new car sales will rise from the current level of 500 to more than 700 next year and then break over 1,000 annually.

In a market that is often crying out for an alternative to the three German brands and their Russian-doll approach to model line-ups, the bold styling of Lexus combined with a warm regard for the RX amongst its historic customer base should see it meet its targets.

The RX doesn’t innovate to the same extent that previous models did, nor does it take the lead in terms of technology or functionality, but it delivers a refined alternative proposition to the returning well-heeled suburban family market.

The lowdown: Lexus RX450h
Engine: 3456cc V6 naturally aspirated petrol engine combined with two electric motors powered by a 288-volt nickel-metal hydrid battery pack
Output: Combined output of 313bhp and 335Nm of torque
Official fuel economy: 5.2l/100km (54.3mpg)
Emissions: 120g/km
Prices: From €69,650
Arriving in Ireland: Mid-December