Four-pot power for Lexus RX

Lexus Australia is seeking to combat the popularity of more affordable compact luxury SUVs by reducing entry price to its revamped RX range by more than $12,000. It has done this by introducing a new RX 270 at $69,900, the only model in the range for less than $70,000. The new RX 270 and F Sport models join a refreshed RX range giving Lexus a broader line up to compete with fresh competition.

It wasn’t that long ago that the RX was the only regular threat to BMW X5’s dominance of the luxury SUV market but the likes of BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Range Rover Evoque and even top end variants of Mazda’s CX5 which, while smaller than the Lexus RX, are winning the minds and wallets of buyers with their lower pricing.

Lexus sold 2534 RXs in 2010 to finish third in the luxury SUV sales behind X5 and Mercedes Benz M-Class with 10.4 per cent of the market. In 2011 that dropped to 1758 sales, 5.9 per cent of the market and eighth place behind many of the new players named above. To the end of May 2012 the RX has tallied 638 sales to again trail behind those same vehicles that are stealing the lion's share of the restructured SUV classification.

The four-cylinder RX 270 is the only two-wheel-drive (front) model in the revised RX while F Sport treatment is applied to only the RX 350 and RX 450h models. The Prestige specification in the previous RX range has been replaced by the Luxury model to give three specifications for the RX 350 and RX 450h vehicles. These are now offered as Luxury, F-Sport and Sports Luxury variants while the new RX 270 is only offered in a single specification.

The entry price of the RX 350 has dropped some $5000 with the new Luxury specification starting at $77,900. The F Sport specification adds $8000 to that at $85,900 while the Sports Luxury 350 costs $94,900.

At $82,900, the RX 450h Luxury represents a $6500 decrease over the outgoing RX 450h Prestige. Some of this decrease has come thanks to the large uptake of Lexus and Toyota’s hybrid drive systems worldwide. The RX 450h F Sport is $89,900 while the range topper is the RX 450h Sports Luxury at $100,900, a price drop of almost $8000.

While it is the entry level model the RX 270 is by no means a stripped out version.  Standard equipment includes satellite navigation with traffic alert, reversing camera with guide assist, power tailgate, a parcel-shelf blind, eight-way power adjustable front seats, leather-trimmed seats, climate control, keyless entry and start, Bluetooth telephone and audio streaming, 12-speaker digital audio with voice command, steering wheel easy access, Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) stability and traction control system, 10 airbags, privacy glass, daytime running lights, 18-inch alloy wheels and metallic paint.

The 2.7-litre four-cylinder 1AR-FE petrol engine is new to the Lexus range and Australia. It is not the 2.7L engine found in some Toyota light commercial vehicles but a new generation of four-cylinder engine. In the RX 270 it produces 138kW at 5800rpm and 252Nm at 4200rpm with the manufacturer quick to point out that this is on 91RON unleaded fuel, on which it happily runs, and not premium ULP.

The engine in the RX 270 is backed by a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels only. There is no AWD option with the four-cylinder RX 270, for that you need to step up to the RX 350 or 450h.

Combined cycle fuel consumption for the RX 270 is quoted at 9.7L/100km making it more economical than the V6 AWD RX 350 at 10.8L/100km but falling short of the hybrid AWD RX 450h which achieves 6.3L/100km combined. CO2 emissions are 226g/km for the RX270; 254g/km for RX 350 and 149g/km for the clean RX 450h.

With its four-cylinder engine and lack of all-wheel-drive hardware the RX 270 sheds 135kgs over the RX 350  helping to give it those consumption figures as well as a claimed zero to 100km/h sprint in 11 seconds. The hybrid RX is the 0-100km king of the three engine variants with 7.8 seconds just pipping the RX 350’s 8.0 second time.

The F Sport RX models follow similar F Sport additions to Lexus’s CT, IS and GS vehicles, giving buyers more sporting options within the Lexus range. This is achieved with F Sport specific suspension tuning, wheels, and interior and exterior styling that breaks free of the somewhat staid character that has marked the brand in the past. 

In the RX 350 and 450h vehicles, the F Sport specification sits between the Luxury and Sports Luxury variants. Externally, the deeper F Sport front bumper is the most obvious addition. It contains a mesh insert in the new ‘Spindle’ corporate grille, while F Sport badges are fitted to the front guards. Shadow-chrome 19-inch alloy wheels complete the look outside while inside black leather-accented seats and F-Sport badges set the models apart. RX 350 F Sport vehicles also get paddle transmission gear shifters mounted behind the steering wheel. The F Sport front bumper and grille are also available on Luxury and Sports Luxury models as part of an ‘Appearance’ package.

The F Sports suspension package is enhanced with the addition of performance dampening struts, as seen previously on the CT 200h F Sport vehicles launched around this time last year.

All new RX models benefit from a stiffer body structure thanks to additional spot welds placed in the rear wheel housings and C-pillars. Each model has a specific suspension calibration with the RX 270 having a softer tune than the 350 and 450h models and the 450h tuned to accommodate its heavier mass.

First seen at the Geneva motor show back in March, the new RX’s exterior changes are headed by the spindle grille and bumper and new headlights incorporating daytime running lights. The specific model variants are differentiated by tweaks to the front end design with the top-spec Sports Luxury models featuring LED low beam headlights with active cornering. New red-coloured tail light assemblies distinguish the revised styling from the back of the RX.

The RX range is available in 10 exterior colours including four new colours while inside there is a choice of ivory, black, tan or light grey trim.

Aside from the RX 270 model, the powertrains and drivelines in the RX range continue as before. The RX 350 features a 204kW/346Nm 3.5L DOHC V6 engine backed by a six-speed auto transmission and on-demand all-wheel-drive. As mentioned, the RX 350 F Sport adds paddle shifters for manual control of the transmission.

The RX 450h remains the only petrol-electric hybrid SUV available in Australia. It uses an efficient Atkinson-cycle 3.5L petrol V6 that makes 183kW and 317Nm, combined with a pair of 650-volt AC electric motors for a total 220kW output. One motor is at the front of the vehicle with the petrol engine where it enhances drive to the front wheels while also providing generator and starter motor functions; the other motor is at the back where it powers the rear axle as required by demand or traction. Drive goes to the wheels through a combination of planetary gear sets and a CVT with six-preset gear ratios available via the floor-mounted gear shifter.

The Hybrid System Indicator in the gauge binnacle shows the driver the real time status of the hybrid drive system. In the new model it has been made larger and has been revised to provide more detail about the system’s operation.

With no true compact SUV in its range of vehicles, the RX 270 gives Lexus a price point at which to compete with the new competitors and it comes with many standard features that are costly options on some of those competitor vehicles. The unique F Sport models add a sporty flair also previously missing from the RX range, tying in well with the stiffer chassis and revised suspension of the updated models. These additions and price reductions across the model line-up should see the RX firmly back in the sights of buyers.

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