Selwyn Times: January 15, 2020

32 Wednesday January 15 2020
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SELWYN TIMES
Clever technology for big Lexus SUV
YOU CAN guarantee Lexus as a
brand and manufacturer won’t be
sitting back resting on its laurels,
the company has a big focus
on product development and
evolution.
Bang on cue the RX series
luxury sport utility vehicle has
had a refresh. It gets a raft of new
electronic technologies for safety
and convenience and it has had a
fairly hefty facelift.
The cosmetic changes are bold
and fit with the striking look
Lexus has developed over the past
few years, the enhancements also
create even more of a luxurious
feel, along with boosting driver
enjoyment.
One of the new features I
found most interesting are the
adaptive headlights which reduce
brightness when oncoming cars
are detected, in that case, the
direction of light is also redirected
towards the side of the road.
Elsewhere, the concept of the
big RX hasn’t been changed,
there are five and seven-seater
options and the choice of a hybrid
drivetrain, bearing in mind that
all RX models have V6 petrol
power under the bonnet and all
are four-wheel-drive.
I’m due to drive a hybrid
model soon, but this evaluation
focuses on the RX350 which,
as its nomenclature suggests,
has a quad-camshaft 3.5-litre
engine. It is a powerful unit at
221kW and 370Nm and it drives
through an eight-speed automatic
transmission.
Even though it is an engine
that has been used widely
throughout a raft of Toyota (and
Lexus) product, it stands out
for its strength, sophistication
and performance, along with
respectable fuel usage statistics.
Lexus claims a 9.6-litre per
100km (29mpg) combined cycle
average. I found that easy to
replicate with an 11-litre (26mpg)
figure showing regularly on the
fuel usage readout. At 100km/h,
7l/100km (40mpg) is possible
with the engine turning over at
just 1600rpm.
That is the secret to this big
V6, it works tirelessly low down,
hauling in quick shifts before the
revs rise unnecessarily high. That
is the beauty of any V6 engine,
there is good torque flow, yet it
whisks to high revolutions freely
if required – when overtaking for
example.
The RX has an economy/
normal/sport selector so that the
driver can dictate how the engine
works, depending on preference.
LEXUS RX350: A host of new features for 2020.
I used normal mode mostly, but
did try the sport setting, which
is great for when overtaking
opportunities arrive. The RX will
lunge from 80km/h to 120km/h
in around 4.5sec, along with a
standstill to 100km/h time of
7.8sec.
All of the time the engine
works without sound intrusion,
even when it is hauling in
towards the red line. I guess you’d
expect that in a prestige/luxury
car and it doesn’t disappoint.
Refinement within the driveline
doesn’t stop there, the fully
independent suspension is supple
offering a high degree of comfort
while the steering is perfectly
weighted with strong feedback.
Even though it has a generous
200mm of ground clearance, the
RX can’t be considered an offroader
– put simply, luxury SUVs
aren’t aimed for those conditions
– the four-wheel-drive system is
there for when grip is challenged.
I never ventured off the
sealed surface, but the driveline
certainly enhances feel on the seal
promoting secure handling when
pushed into a corner.
While the RX has performance
that sits well in the sport SUV
sector, its primary role is to
transport its occupants in the
Lexus style of sophistication
and grace. It is a full five-seater
with full leather trim, satellite
navigation, heated and cooled
seats, paddle gearshifters, and all
of the functions you would need
every day as a premium car buyer.
The evaluation car was an
F-Sport model which, as its
branding would suggest, has
a few sporty type ingredients
– aluminium pedals, F-Sport
badging and 20in wheels.
Any RX buyer won’t be
• Price – Lexus RX350,
$109,600
• Dimensions – Length,
4890mm; width,
1895mm; height,
1690mm
• Configuration – V6,
four-wheel-drive, 3456cc,
221kW, 370Nm, eightspeed
automatic.
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 7.8sec
• Fuel usage – 9.6l/100km
disappointed with the amount of
onboard kit, and the specification
level justifies its $109,600 price
tag. A base spec V6 starts the
range at just below $100k,
while the seven-seat V6 lists at
$109,500. Incidentally, hybrid
models start from $116,400 and
end at $127,500.
As part of a process to
rehome my wife’s piano within
our dwelling, we purchased a
tallboy to house her music and
other paraphernalia. I used the
RX to transport the piece of
furniture home, and that journey
highlighted the practicality big
SUVs offer, the rear seats fold
down to open up an expansive
cargo load space. Even though
the F-Sport model has just two
rows of seats, I can easily see how
the seven-seat option would work
in this car.
These are just some of the
reasons why SUVs are the biggest
selling models within the Lexus
brand.