Want to turn heads? This Lexus is for you

Feann Torr
Dec 01, 2015, updated Dec 01, 2015

A new 2.0 litre turbo engine impresses, especially at this price point.

Expert rating: 74/100

Engine, drivetrain and chassis: 14/20
Price, packaging and practicality: 16/20
Safety and technology: 14/20
Behind the wheel: 15/20
X-factor: 15/20

If you want to make a statement – a jaw-dropping, head-turning, convention-defying declaration – with your next vehicle purchase, the Lexus RX is for you.

Boasting what is perhaps the most staggeringly improbable grille – a gaping maw that looks set to eat errant pedestrians – the new Lexus RX is an aesthetic maverick.

The Japanese luxury SUV’s bold exterior sheet metal is so diametrically opposed to the curving lines of its German rivals’ that it’s breathtaking in its audacity. And I kind of like that (the audacity, not the design).

• New Mini makes sacrifices for style
• Vitar’s pleasant but expensive surprise
• Off-road trooper holds its own on-road

Simply put, it’s pleasing when others turn to watch you sail by. But if you’re not buying the car to make a statement and simply want a reliable, efficient and ultimately luxurious SUV, will the new Lexus RX work for you?

Indeed it will.

It’s a bigger, wider car than its predecessor, measuring 4890mm long and 1895mm wide, making it slightly longer than both the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz’s facelifted, renamed GLE.

The RX’s physical expansion means that it not only gets more boot space at 514 litres but more leg room for all passengers – the rear seat is particularly good in this respect.

The RX’s bulked-up bodybuilding also ensures it no longer “straddles” the medium and large SUV segments, to use the words of Sean Hanley, Lexus Australia’s chief executive.

Although that grille will always be the star of the show, the RV is impressive inside and out.

Although that grille will always be the star of the show, the RX is impressive inside and out.

On top of a better sense of space, the interior is sumptuous, with some of the most supple and silky leather in this segment. Even entry-level models come standard with heated and cooled 12-way power-adjustable leather accented seats, with contours and cushioning that deliver remarkable comfort.

Oddly, the F-Sport seats had a hard line under the buttock support cushions, reducing comfort. Try before you buy is my advice.

Big 20-inch alloy wheels are standard on all models too, adding to the car’s bold bearing, plus must-have LED driving lights and plenty of techno-doodads besides.

Think wireless phone charging, a 12-speaker stereo, intelligent radar cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), 10 airbags, satellite-navigation, and too much more to include here. Not many Beemers get all those things gratis.

It might be almost $9000 pricier than the RX 270 it replaces, but the entry-level front-wheel drive RX 200t costs more than $10,000 less than the equivalent BMW X5, is significantly better equipped, and certainly doesn’t feel cheap.

The luxurious interior is undoubtedly a highlight.

Ride comfort is suitably smooth thanks to smartly-tuned suspension – even on the giant 20-inch wheel rims – and the car didn’t wallow too much when coerced through a few tight corners either.

F-Sport models are much firmer – too firm, even with adaptive dampers – but they do corner with more alacrity if that’s your thing.

The steering is lacklustre at spirited speeds in corners and provides little feedback, but is perfectly suited to town driving – where most RXs are likely to spend the majority of their time.

After heading the wrong way to Sydney airport, we discovered that quickly and smoothly whipping the sizeable car through a three-point turn is effortless – oddly satisfying, even. The reversing camera, rear cross traffic alert and sensors fitted as standard come in handy too.

I quite like the Lexus infotainment system and although it doesn’t have the cutting-edge connectivity or smarts of the latest Audi and BMW systems, it’s still a neat system.

The unorthodox input method – dubbed ‘remote touch controller’ – works well for me and while up-spec models with the massive 12.3-inch screen look extraordinary, the base models’ 8.0-inch screen displays clear satellite-navigation and digital radio details.

Where the car doesn’t impress quite so much is in terms of powertrain options.

The direct-injected V6 makes a sweet sound, revving cleanly and crisply every time and has a tinge of aggression in its voice as things get serious.

A new 2.0 litre turbo engine impresses, especially at this price point.

Throttle response is impressive too but it can’t match its more advanced European rivals for power or economy, even if it is 11 per cent more efficient than the last Lexus RX 350.

The V6 is paired with a smooth and quiet new eight-speed automatic that’s perfectly suited to the rest of the refined car, but the simple truth is the 3.5-litre V6 is old.

It has to move almost 2000kg and getting close to the claimed 9.6L/100km was not possible during the launch. Try 13L/100km.

The RX 200t’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder is a more sensible choice. It loses nothing in acceleration nor refinement, racing to 100km/h in the same 9.2 seconds as the V6, but does it more efficiently, using fuel at a claimed rate of 8.1L/100km. It’s a bit quieter too.

As the only front-drive vehicle in the range, the 200t has a hint of torque steer from standstill and it misses out on the eight-speed auto too, getting a six-speed auto instead. Nonetheless, it’s still the pick of the powertrains tested.

Lexus’ new RX is bigger and better in many ways, and although some of the technology feels dated, such as the hit-and-miss voice control and ineffectual active lane-keeping assist+ system, it’s a pleasant car to drive.

With prices between $73,000 for the base RX 200t and $106,000 for the top-shelf RX 450h Sports Luxury, Lexus’ new SUV flagship (excluding the Toyota LandCruiser-based LX) is a lot more expensive than its predecessor.

But it’s still at least $10,000 cheaper than its rivals and is also a better car in many ways, representing a tempting – and an impressively refined, luxurious and well-equipped – alternative to the Euro pack.

However, the new RX doesn’t push the envelope in terms of technology, powertrains or dynamics and that’s disappointing for what is a new-generation vehicle – and a critically important cash cow for the Japanese car-maker.

Instead, the envelope pushing takes place artistically, and Lexus reckons having a point of difference is crucial to success in the prestige vehicle market.

We’ll watch with interest to see how well that point of difference, the outrageous exterior design, wins over new buyers.

2016 Lexus RX 200t pricing and specifications:
Price: $73,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 175kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 189g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC