By Samuel Ee

The Lexus RX range has undergone a radical face-lift. In line with the Japanese luxury carmaker's new design direction - as characterised by the Lexus L-finesse philosophy - this large sport-utility vehicle now gets the distinctive spindle grille and arrowhead lamps with LED running lights.

This new face of Lexus had debuted on the GS mid-sized saloon with striking effect. But the result is slightly different on the taller RX model. One thing is not in doubt, however - the makeover has given it a bold new mien.

Together with sleek new tail lamps, the RX has gained a more distinctive appearance.

In addition to the cosmetic changes for its exterior, this luxury SUV series also gets an eight-inch Electro Multi Vision (EMV) display and Lexus Navigation System as standard across all variants. The carmaker's familiar Remote Touch Interface (RTI) mouse-operated controller is used to manage the GPS feature as well as the other vehicle functions.

As before, the RX variants include the entry-level RX270 with a four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels, and two all-wheel-drive alternatives - the RX350 with a V6 unit, and the RX Hybrid with its sophisticated petrol-electric power system. The latter two engine versions have been upgraded with a head up display (HUD) as standard to project the vehicle speed and engine speed or Eco indicator onto the windscreen.

When the engine speed option is chosen, a useful feature is the display of the selected gear - ideal when driving more aggressively using the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

All three variants also get the usual standard and luxury trim levels but the latter two can also be ordered with an F Sport package - the first time F Sport has been introduced to the RX range. "F", when it comes to the Lexus brand, stands for Fuji, as in the Fuji Speedway - the birthplace and main testing ground of the carmaker's high-performance division. On the RX350 and RX Hybrid, the F Sport edition gets a suitably dynamic upgrade in the form of 19-inch alloy wheels (up from 18 inches) and front and rear performance dampers. The F Sport RX's handling benefits from these changes made by the Lexus team of "Drive Meisters" in charge of the marque's performance development.

To visually differentiate the F Sport from the standard or luxury lines, there is an aggressive mesh intake grille instead of one horizontal chrome bars. Inside, F Sport also means sports leather seats with the steering wheel and gearshift lever covered in perforated leather. There are also aluminium pedals, metallic inlay panels and scuff plates.

On the RX Hybrid, the F Sport treatment makes it feel sharper and tighter at high speed. This performance hybrid has excellent low-end torque, thanks to electric boost from the electric motors - one each for the front and rear wheels.

The hybrid system adds to the car's kerb weight, making it the only RX variant to cross the two-tonne mark at 2,110 kg. But it is also the reason why it is a fuel sipper, consuming just 6.3 litres per 100 km under the combined cycle.

The RX350 costs slightly less but with comes with the same reassuring grip that all-wheel-drive provides, while the front-wheel-driven Lexus RX270 is more economical with fuel consumption of 9.6 litres per 100 km.

But with their spacious cabins and thoughtful equipment features, all three will still offer the traditional Lexus qualities of comfort and refinement.

samuelee@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Business Times.

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