Lexus RX launched in India, with prices starting at Rs 95.8 lakh
Lexus India has officially launched the RX hybrid SUV in India with a starting price of Rs 95.8 lakh for the 350h and Rs 1.18 crore for the 500h F Sport (ex-showroom). This RX is a generational upgrade from the older RX on sale in India and comes with completely reworked styling, drivetrain, interiors and features.
Lexus RX exterior
The new RX has the signature Lexus grille and on the side are narrow LED projector headlamps that also house the indicators. On the sides, chrome can be seen around the windows and it flows right to the rear giving the car a seamless look. The car comes with a panoramic roof with a UV-cut function and has a full-width LED taillamp at the back, featuring the Lexus name in the center. The RX500h comes with a more aggressive front grille and rear bumpers. You also get aluminum wheels on the RX500h, though both variants get 21-inch wheels as standard. Lexus offers eight colour options for the RX350h variant and six for the higher RX500h variant including an all-new Sonic Copper shade.
Lexus RX interior
The RX offers the level of comfort and luxury that you would expect of the Lexus brand like electric front seats, soft-close doors, and an automatic opening and closing boot. The interior design consists of plush leather and optional wood or aluminum inserts. There’s a digital LCD instrument cluster and a head-up display is also provided. A 14-inch touchscreen infotainment display is standard and comes with an inbuilt navigation system and wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You get wireless charging and connected features and services for the first time in India. There‘s ambient lighting with 50 different colour options on offer. The RX comes with a Panasonic music system as standard but a Mark Levinson system can be installed as an option. You get three-zone climate control and ventilated/heated front and rear seats. Lexus offers three different interior colour options for the RX350h and two for the RX500h. The RX500h gets several additional features like exclusive front seats, a dimpled leather steering wheel, a dimpled leather shift knob, aluminum pedals and footrest, and scuff plates.
Lexus RX powertrain
The car is offered in two different variants and each one gets its own drivetrain. The lower-powered RX350h variant comes with a 2.5-litre petrol engine which is paired with two electric motors. The engine produces 190bhp while the front and rear motors produce 179bhp and 54bhp respectively, they combine to deliver a total system output of 246bhp. This variant comes with a CVT gearbox and offers AWD. Lexus is claiming it can do 0 to 100kmph in 7.9 seconds and has a top speed of 200kmph.
The RX500h features a 2.4-liter turbo-petrol engine that delivers 268bhp. The front electric motor produces 85bhp while the rear produces 102bhp. The combined total output of this model comes to 366bhp. It is offered with a 6-speed auto, not a CVT like on the 350h and this model also gets AWD. The 500h is faster compared to the 350h as it does 0 to 100kmph in 6.2 seconds with a top speed of 210kmph.
Lexus RX safety features
The car comes with Lexus safety system+ 3.0 as standard which is a system that comprises multiple features such as pre-collision warning and braking for both stationary and moving objects. Lane departure warning, lane tracing assist, and adaptive high beam are also included as well as a blind spot monitor function. Dynamic radar cruise control has also been added.
Lexus RX price and rivals
The RX350h starts at Rs 95.8 lakh (ex-showroom) and the RX500h is priced at Rs 1.18 crore (ex-showroom). These are the base prices with the Panasonic audio system, speccing the Mark Levinson will bump them up slightly. The luxury SUV market has several strong contenders and price-wise the RX competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLE, BMW X5, and Porsche Macan.
