Pegasus Post: May 02, 2024
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8 Thursday <strong>May</strong> 2 2<strong>02</strong>4<br />
Incorporating<br />
best motorbuys<br />
www.drivesouth.co.nz<br />
Upgraded Lexus RX a major leap forward<br />
Motoring with Bob Nettleton<br />
LEXUS HAS dispensed with<br />
evolutionary change, and gone<br />
full-out revolutionary with the<br />
latest version of its RX, its longest<br />
serving hybrid SUV, and one of<br />
its best sellers.<br />
The cost of getting on to the<br />
RX ladder is getting steeper so<br />
mind your step.<br />
It starts at $120,990 for the RX<br />
350h 2.5P, in Limited guise you<br />
will pay $131,990 and a $135,990<br />
bounty is on the head of the<br />
Enhancement Pack RX. Shaking<br />
$142,990 out of your new luxury<br />
SUV piggy bank gets you behind<br />
the wheel of the 2.4-litre turbo<br />
hybrid F SPORT, the tearaway<br />
excitement machine of the new<br />
RX family.<br />
The RX 350h features a nonturbo<br />
2.5-litre petrol hybrid<br />
powertrain, E-Four all-wheel<br />
drive system – both cut and paste<br />
jobs from the Toyota Highlander<br />
and standard in three of the four<br />
model range.<br />
The outlier is the 273kW RX<br />
500h F Sport. To put that into<br />
context, that output betters<br />
the standard powertrain used<br />
across the rest of the range by a<br />
whopping 90kW.<br />
While it’s the entry point into<br />
the RX club, the 350h offers a<br />
high standard of luxury and<br />
premium materials.<br />
The Limited model supplied<br />
for this road test takes things<br />
up a level with standard 21-inch<br />
dark metallic alloy wheels,<br />
world first BladeScan adaptive<br />
Ratings out of 10: Performance 7; Handling 7; Build Quality<br />
8; Comfort 8; Passenger and Load Space 7; Styling 7; Value<br />
for money 6; Safety – Five Star ANCAP crash rating.<br />
Overall points out of 10: 7.5<br />
high-beam headlights for a truly<br />
illuminating night-time driving<br />
experience.<br />
Parked up in the engine bay is<br />
a top-notch self-charging hybrid<br />
electric drivetrain, featuring a<br />
highly efficient Atkinson cycle<br />
2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol<br />
engine.<br />
Light, compact and matched<br />
with a power dense electric<br />
motor it delivers a more than<br />
handy combined output of<br />
184kW.<br />
It made a positive statement<br />
with its purposeful pulling<br />
power from standing starts.<br />
Energy levels taper off a tad<br />
at higher revs, a space where<br />
the hybrids aren’t so effective.<br />
Nonetheless, it underlines the<br />
advances Lexus have made and<br />
continue to make with this<br />
technology.<br />
A good example of this was<br />
the test vehicle’s ability to run<br />
for lengthy periods on electricity<br />
alone in urban driving. The crisp<br />
shifting auto is hard to fault<br />
largely because it rarely ever<br />
deviates from the high standard<br />
it sets.<br />
Flat-folding rear seats create<br />
a large rear cargo area. There’s<br />
an abundance of front and rear<br />
legroom, headroom, although<br />
the latter is a touch tighter for<br />
taller back occupants than I<br />
expected. Some will lament the<br />
loss of the third row that was a<br />
big draw card in the previous<br />
model.<br />
The RX is armed with the latest<br />
Lexus Safety System + package<br />
providing advanced safety and<br />
accident prevention technologies.<br />
These either warn the driver of a<br />
collision or help them reduce the<br />
severity of an impact.<br />
Safety features include a radar<br />
based pre-collision system with<br />
autonomous emergency braking<br />
and all-speed dynamic radar<br />
cruise control.<br />
Independent suspension<br />
delivers a nice blend of comfort<br />
and handling. AWD maximises<br />
traction across a broad range<br />
of road surfaces and weather<br />
conditions.<br />
Given its height and weight,<br />
the RX was nimble and easy<br />
to manage over twisty terrain.<br />
However, this isn’t an overtly<br />
sporty SUV. I suspect that<br />
mantle sits firmly with the new F<br />
Sport turbo.<br />
Vaughan Pirie<br />
owner operator<br />
<strong>02</strong>7 565 5577<br />
vpbaeries@gmail.com<br />
www.vpbaeries.co.nz<br />
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