LEXUS has come to rely on its medium-size luxury SUV, the RX, with up to half its sales volume generated by this model. This third-generation RX350 (the second for Australia – we missed out on generation one) enjoys increased stature and more features, not to mention the handling finesse to better face the primarily German competition. The new RX seems to have enough of these qualities to give the Germans something to worry about. A hybrid version, the RX450h, is still to come, and the question remains: does the Lexus have the engine – or engines, given the lack of a diesel – to be a true competitor for the well-rounded luxury SUVs such as X5 and M-class.