LEXUS has priced its new RX SUV for Australia ahead of its showroom arrival in the first quarter of next year, the six-variant range beginning at $87,500 plus on-road costs – or $15,296 more than the entry to the outgoing range (the now obsolete RX300 Luxury).
The fifth-generation RX offers the choice of two electrified powertrains, including the high-performance RX500h F Sport Performance hybrid that combines a turbocharged 2.4-litre petrol engine with dual electric motors and a six-speed automatic transmission.
Priced from $126,000 + ORC, this flagship all-wheel drive variant offers 273kW of total system power, adaptive dampers and dynamic rear steering.
Lexus will also offer petrol-powered RX350 variants with a turbocharged 2.4-litre turbo engine developing 205kW/430Nm and with electronically controlled all-wheel drive (from $99,000 + ORC) and a second hybridised offering developing 184kW and offered in two- and all-wheel drive configurations.
The Japanese premium importer says the re-engineered RX range comes equipped as standard with bi-LED headlights and DRLs, front and rear fog lights, heated and driver’s side auto-dimming wing mirrors, rear privacy glass, roof rails and 19-inch alloy wheels.
Further, Luxury (entry) grades are equipped with heated and eight-way adjustable front seats with two-way lumbar support, synthetic leather upholstery, three-zone climate control, rear air vents, an easy access steering wheel with electric steering column adjustment, paddle shifters, LED interior illumination, electrochromatic rear-view mirror and a powered tailgate.
The standard infotainment array offers a 14.0-inch touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto connectivity, 12-speaker Panasonic audio system, native satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, and Lexus Connected Services telematics. The connectivity suite further includes five USB-C ports, two 12V sockets and one USB-A port.
Standard safety equipment includes safe exit assist, driver attention monitor, pre-collision system with intersection collision avoidance support, emergency steering assist and low-speed acceleration suppression, lane departure alert, dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, parking support brake, blind spot monitor, and rear cross traffic alert.
Entry grade RX350h Luxury variants are offered with an optional Enhancement Pack for $5100 on two-wheel drive variants and $5500 on all-wheel drive variants. It comprises a panoramic sunroof, leather-accented seat trim, ventilated front seats, easy access seat, driver’s seat memory, touch-sensitive steering wheel controls linked with the head-up display, high-grade instrument cluster display, smart key card and wireless phone charger.
Stepping up to RX350 F Sport variants, we find larger 21-inch alloy wheels in gloss black, F Sport front and rear bumpers and grille, F Sport exterior badging and black roof rails and exterior mirror caps.
Inside, the F Sport variant features a dimpled leather steering wheel, scuff plates, shift knob and instrument cluster, aluminium pedals and heated and ventilated F Sport seats.
Additional equipment includes adaptive damping, six-piston front brakes, high-grade three-projector bi-LED headlights with dynamic auto-levelling, cornering lamps and headlight cleaners, power tailgate with kick sensor, easy access driver’s seat, smart key card, rear door sunshades and multi-colour interior illumination.
F Sport variants also include a colour head-up display, touch-sensitive steering wheel controls, wireless smartphone charging, active noise control, 360-degree camera system, adaptive high beam, and a 21-speaker Mark Levinson premium surround sound system.
The first Enhancement Pack (EP1) for F Sport variants is priced at $3000 and offers a sliding panoramic roof while the second Enhancement Pack (EP2) adds a digital rear-view mirror, intelligent parking assist and a heated steering wheel for an extra $1100.
Further up the range, RX350 and RX350h AWD Sports Luxury variants (from $105,900 and $111,900 plus on-roads respectively) share adaptive damping, bi-LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats and the Mark Levinson sound system from the F Sport line, whilst adding active noise control, 10-way power-adjustable front seats with semi-aniline leather upholstery and four-way lumbar support and memory function, heated partially woodgrain steering wheel, power-folding and reclining rear seats, heated and ventilated outboard rear seats and 21-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.
Enhancement Packs for the duo include a sliding panoramic roof for $3000 (EP1) and digital rear-view mirror and intelligent parking assist for an additional $900 (EP2).
Finally, at the top of the range, is the RX500h F Sport Performance that combines all optional equipment from the Enhancement Packs as standard, along with leather upholstery and aluminium ornamentation.
The flagship gains its own 21-inch alloys with a matte black finish, aluminium monobloc front callipers finished in black, front and rear bumpers with piano black side moulding, black F Sport badging and exterior window surrounds, body coloured lower side rocker trim, piano black inner side mirror garnish and Active Sound Control.
Nine exterior colour options include Sonic Quartz, Titanium, Sonic Chrome, Sonic Iridium, Graphite Black, Vermillion, Khaki Metal, Deep Blue and Sonic Copper.
F Sport grades replace Sonic Quartz, Titanium, Vermillion and Khaki Metal with White Nova and Cobalt Mica, while the F Sport Performance palette matches the F Sport bar the loss of Deep Blue.
2023 Lexus RX pricing*:
350h Luxury (a) |
$87,500 |
New variant |
350h Luxury AWD (a) |
$92,000 |
New variant |
350 F Sport AWD (a) |
$99,900 |
(+$5196) |
350 Sports Luxury AWD (a) |
$105,900 |
(+$4996) |
350h Sports Luxury AWD (a) |
$111,900 |
New variant |
500h F Sport Performance AWD (a) |
$126,000 |
New variant |
*Pricing excludes on-road costs