Bolder than ever before : Lexus RX

The Luxury Crossover segment is cut-throat. The Germans are pulling out all the stops with wealthy-soccer mom-mobiles such as the Audi Q5 and BMW X5. Already expensive, customers have to fork out another couple thousand bucks for basic things such as metallic paint, just to be seen driving that brand. On the other side we have the premium Japanese and Korean manufacturers such as Lexus and Infiniti, who believe you should get a bit more bang for your buck in terms of safety and technology features. Compare them with each other, and it’s a given that the non-Germans will offer better value for money.

Bolder than ever before

Lexus launched the patriarch of the luxury crossover, the RX, in Mpumalanga this week. The RX has been a great success story for Lexus worldwide, especially in the US, selling well over a 100 000 RX’s per year. The new RX has been completely redesigned, and is looking fighting fit. Lexus says the RX’s design is Origami-inspired: It’s all acute angles and sharp lines, with that dominant signature Lexus spindle grille. But it’s the RX’s confident boldness that immediately strikes one. The RX has the sexiest side profile I’ve seen on an SUV to date, further enhanced in the rear by a roof that looks as if it’s floating. The back end is where you can see the designers were truly inspired: The artfully sculpted rear casts shadows to echo the spindle grille on the RX’s front. It has curves in all the right places indeed. The RX is the perfect example of how far Lexus have come, from a design perspective.

The inside story

‘Comfort and style, above all else’ is seems to be the theme throughout the cabin. It is supremely luxurious, and mostly, the best of everything has been used. What is easily mistaken for brushed aluminium, is a high-quality silver plastic, similar to the accents in the Toyota RAV4 I drove last week. Fit and finish (in the RX) is impeccable, and plenty of thought went into ergonomics and ease of use.

The local RX line-up is available in two derivatives: the petrol V6-powered RX 350 EX and the petrol-electric hybrid RX 450h in SE guise. As soon as we arrived at the Kruger International Airport, we made a beeline for the RX 350. The RX 350 EX has an upgraded 3.5-litre direct injection V6 that develops 221kW and 370Nm (17kW and 24Nm more than the previous generation) - and is all wheel driven via an eight-speed transmission. Once you start the engine and get going, the first thing you become aware of is the deathly quiet cabin - Lexus did a fine job of eliminating NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) which makes the 12 - speaker audio system sound even better. It was a scorcher of a day in the Lowveld, so the ventilated seats kept our backs cool - leather seats can get a bit sticky, so this is one feature you never knew you needed.

If your phone is Qi-enabled, you can charge it wirelessly, just like the new Land Cruiser 200. Both our (non-Qi) phones could be plugged into USB ports simultaneously, and there are handy storage binnacles everywhere. It’s just a pity that the infotainment system’s controls are quite finicky. Entering an address into the standard Satnav requires a steady hand - one Espresso too many and you never quite select the right letter the first time. (The brilliant Lexus NX 200t ‘s trackpad works much better.) Voice commands can be given too, but with Afrikaans names such Nelspruit, we were often misunderstood - I have yet to find a voice control system that can recognize names of South African towns and streets. Another little niggle regarding the Satnav - on our route it often showed the speed limit incorrectly.

Riding high

After turning off into a rural area to enter Sabi Sands, the road surface quickly turned into granules of reddish-brown sand full of bumps and undulations, but the RX350 simply floated over them like Aladdin’s magic carpet. I was very tempted to accelerate over the bumps, but this was the Kruger National park and I didn’t want to kill anything. At one point we stopped at the side of the “road” to take photos - little did we know that there was a herd of Elephants just further up the road, and that we weren’t supposed to get out of the car. Fortunately my co-driver was considerably larger than me - and would not have been able to outrun anything. (So I would only have to outrun him!)
The RX is a soft-roader, so this type of environment suited it perfectly - very clever of Lexus to bring us here. After all, if you can afford an RX, this is exactly the type of environment it will encounter on weekends.

On the twisty tar-sections, the RX 350 also behaved itself like a true gentlemen, despite its considerable bulk. Its engine and transmission are creamier than Nigella Lawson’s fudge, and performance is more than sufficient for your average luxury SUV buyer. So what if it’s a little less nimble than other class rivals and the steering is a bit vague? Do SUV’s really require razor-sharp handling? Driving the RX couldn’t be less complicated, comfortable or effortless. And if you have to stick some adults in the back, the second row has space for ladies (or gentlemen) in nine-inch stilettos.

The next morning we sampled the RX 450h, which is the flagship model at R999 000. The RX 450h hybrid develops 230kW combined system power from the engine and electric motor - a 10kW increase over the previous generation RX 450h. It is all wheel drive as well, via CVT gearbox. I’m not a fan of the CVT gearbox, but this one is rather refined and doesn’t sound like a frustrated hairdryer when the accelerator pedal is pressed. The engine is more peppy than the RX 350, due to the electric motor’s immediate kick. The battery pack’s weight also seems to have a positive effect on its handling. And if you though the RX350 was quiet, the RX 450h is a mausoleum. Drive the RX450h on EV mode and it’s powered by the electric motor alone - handy if you’re slowly cruising around the school parking lot or in heavy traffic. Apart from not making a sound, it will help you save on fuel. Lexus is a bit ambitious with their 5.7 litres per 100 km figure - instead we remained in the 9 - 12 litres per 100 km range.

The SUV for me?

If you’re a lover of the finer things in life, the RX is a great choice. I’d probably buy one because I’m an individualist - I’m completely smitten with the RX’s flamboyant and aggressive styling. But I am also a mom, so safety is a big thing for me and the RX has all of ten airbags. Then there’s the usual ABS with EBD and Brake Assist. Other safety equipment include Traction Control, Hill Assist Control, Vehicle Stability Control, Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (Only in the 450h), and front and rear park distance control with a rear-view camera.  Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and a Blind Spot Monitor are both standard, and so is a tyre pressure monitor. We inquired about more high-tech safety spec such as Forward Collision Mitigation Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control, but the Lexus people said that it would make the RX too expensive. But have a look at all the boxes of standard spec that have been ticked in the RX 350:

●    10-way power front seats
●    Leather upholstery
●    Laser cut ornamentation
●    12-speaker audio system with DAB+ digital radio tuner
●    Heated and ventilated front seats
●    Wireless charger
●    20-inch alloy wheels with Sonic Titanium colour inserts
●    Power rear door
●    LED Headlamps
●    Eight-speed automatic transmission
●    Three-mode Drive Mode Select
●    12.3-inch high definition display with satellite navigation
●    Power adjustable steering column
●    Electrochromatic interior mirror
●    Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
●    Automatic heated exterior mirrors
●    Tyre pressure monitoring
●    Rear privacy glass
●    Reversing camera with back guide monitor
●    Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
●    Clearance and back parking sonar
●    Smart entry and start
●    Cruise control
●    Electronic park brake
●    Power sliding roof
●    2000 kg braked towing capacity
●    Full spare with alloy
●    Maintenance Plan – Lexus Distance Plan Plus

The Lexus RX 450h SE (R999 000) adds the following to the above mentioned equipment:

●    Unique SE petal-style alloys
●    Tri-LED headlamp clusters with integrated washer system
●    Sequential LED indicator function which works in conjunction with the DRLs
●    15-speaker Mark Levinson audio system
●    Heated steering wheel
●    Enhanced safety package - Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management
Maintenance Plan – Lexus Distance Plan Complete