The RX 350h variant kicks off 2023 model range boasting 2.5-litre petrol hybrid powertrain.
Lexus says its new RX will deliver enhanced efficiency and performance thanks to its newly introduced turbo hybrid-electric powertrains.
The fifth-generation model’s complete renewal adopts the marque’s new design, evolved performance through Lexus Driving Signature and an overhauled cockpit.
Arriving in New Zealand for test drives in early 2023, the new RX will be available here only in electrified hybrid variants.
The RX 350h will have a 2.5-litre petrol hybrid powertrain, the E-Four all-wheel-drive (AWD) system and will be available in three specification levels – RX 350h, Limited and Limited with an enhancement pack.
In addition, the new RX 500h F Sport Performance combines a turbo-charged 2.4-litre engine, six-speed automatic transmission, DIRECT4 AWD system and an upgraded hybrid system to produce 273kW of power.
Andrew Davis, Lexus NZ’s general manager, says the fifth-generation RX offers a diverse line-up of powertrains focused on meeting customers’ needs around New Zealand. Since the RX arrived here in 2003, it has become a bestseller for the marque.
“The 2023 RX is a reinvented model that opens a major new chapter in the evolution of this iconic SUV,” he says. “The 350h picks up from and extends the driving and luxury experience of the previous 450h, while the 500h charges into new territory by offering the power and handling of a turbo-charged engine matched to our latest hybrid and AWD technology.
“As a core model for Lexus in New Zealand, the RX contributes to our reduction efforts to become a carbon-neutral society, while staying close to the increasingly diversified needs and lifestyles of customers.”
Based on the vision Lexus Electrified announced in 2019, the brand has infused its fundamental performance technology with the electrification technologies in the RX to provide practical electrified vehicle solutions, such as HEVs and PHEVs.
In the latest iteration of the RX, the Lexus Driving Signature has “evolved” through improvements to the vehicle’s fundamentals, “while maintaining the refined ride and high level of quietness that are the origins of the brand”.
For the exterior design, Lexus has taken on the challenge of creating a unique identity using the “spindle body”, which provides ample cooling functionality with a powerful design style that incorporates the body colour.
The range starts at $120,900 for the RX 350h 2.5P HEV and increases to $142,900 for the RX 500h 2.4PT 1MHEV F Sport Performance.
Keyword: More power and efficiency