Lexus RX Australian launch detailed: All-new mega-hybrid headlines "fun to drive" large SUV

Lexus has shone a light on its launch plans for the new Lexus RX SUV, with the brand to launch with two conventional hybrid powertrains and a petrol engine in early 2023 – but without a plug-in hybrid.

The fifth-generation Lexus RX represents a model-wide overhaul of one of the brand’s best-selling SUVs, and will also introduce an all-new hybrid system never before used on Toyota or Lexus product.

Featuring in the top spec RX 500h F Performance (a new tier of performance for the Japanese brand), the new hybrid powertrain pairs a 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors – one at the front and one at the rear – to deliver a total 273kW and 551Nm, with that power fed through a six-speed automatic gearbox (not a constantly variable transmission) and sent to all four wheels.

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The hybrid system has been designed with turbocharged engines in mind, and features a single electric motor at the front, and a bigger rear motor, with the latter able to provide real driving power to the rear tyres - and contribute to a sprint to 100km/h of just 5.9 secs. Lexus calls it an 'eAxle' motor, and it can deliver some 76kW to the rear tyres. It pairs with a 'DIRECT4' all-wheel drive system which the brand says improves "handling, controllability, and feel."

Fitting, then, that it features on the RX 500h F Performance, which introduces a new go-fast tier for the Lexus brand (though one you can expect to see more frequently in the near future), and which sits between the existing F Sport and the top-tier, full-fat F models.

The brand says things like bigger brakes, performance components and the highest power outputs will be reserved for the F Performance models. And so it is with the RX 500h F Performance, which welcomes six-piston front brakes, adaptive variable suspension, dynamic rear steering and 21-inch wheels.

Sitting below the 500h (though Lexus in Australia says it is still working through the lineup hierarchy) is the more traditional RX 350h, which pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with Lexus' existing hybrid system to produce a total 180kW and 316Nm. It's paired with a constantly variable transmission and will be offered in two- or all-wheel drive.

The Lexus RX 500h wears big 21-inch boot.

Finally, there’s a turbocharged 2.4-litre petrol engine on offer in the RX 350, good for 205kW and 430Nm, and paired with an eight speed automatic and AWD.

Internationally, there's also a new plug-in hybrid variant that pairs 227kW hybrid system with a 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery for a EV driving range of more than 65kms, but fight though Lexus in Australia did, it couldn't secure the model for our market at launch.

"It wasn’t on our plan for initial launch. We knew that other markets would be the priority, and we knew that capacity and volumes would be given to those markets because of the (emission standards) position we're in," says Lexus Australia boss, John Pappas.

The Lexus RX debuts a new hybrid system.

"Our priority was making sure that we got the performance 500h, but of course we want the plug-in hybrid, too."

The entire RX range now rides on Lexus' GA-K platform, which is lighter (-40kg), more rigid, and offers a lower centre of gravity (-15mm) than the model it replaces.

The RX is wider (+25mm to 1920mm), lower (-10mm to 1695mm), but no longer (still 4890mm) than the outgoing model. But Lexus has lengthened the wheelbase (+60mm to 2850mm) to earn some extra backseat space for rear riders.

The Lexus RX serves up two screen-size options

Lexus in Australia is still working on full pricing and specification details for our market, but you can expect a choice between a 9.8-inch or 14.0-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an eLatch door system with fixed handles that unlatch at the push of button inside and out, as well as more high-tech safety kit (thanks to Lexus Safety System 3.0) than you can shake a radar at.

"The RX is synonymous with Lexus in Australia. It has helped forge the Lexus brand here, pioneering the luxury SUV concept and winning customers with its refined luxury and thoughtful design," Mr Pappas says.

“The all-new RX builds on the model’s long-standing qualities but now encapsulates it in a thoroughly modern and more sporting package that still delivers high on comfort and elegance."

The Lexus RX will launch in Australia in early 2023.