Toyota recently revealed its updated fifth-generation Lexus RX. The luxury crossover, which is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary, gets a complete makeover with pretty major changes.
The updated Lexus RX gets an all-new front end, with a slightly different variation of the carmaker’s ‘spindle’ grille design. Flanking the grille are sleeker and more futuristic L-shaped LED headlights. The same design is seen at the rear as well, with the tail-light running the width of the bumper.
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The redesigned RX’s cabin also sees a fair bit of changes. Just like the 2022 NX, there’s an all-new 14-inch digital instrument cluster loaded with Lexus’s system interface. You also get driver-friendly features like cloud-based navigation, an AI assistant, voice commands, and more.
While more details are yet to be released, the feature list will vary based on the trim you choose. The 2023 RX will be offered in six different variants: Standard, Premium, Premium+, Luxury, F Sport Handling, and F Sport Performance. And yes, the company did confirm that the model will come with a panoramic glass roof and a head-up display.
The Lexus RX now rides on Toyota’s new GA-K platform, which makes use of lighter and more optimised materials. As a result of this, the 2023 RX has shed around 90kg!
Additionally, the wheelbase has now been extended by 61mm, without increasing the overall length of the car. This was done by moving the rear axle further back, allowing for more legroom. Take a closer look and you’ll notice the height has now been reduced by 0.4-inch while gaining 1-inch more width.
With the ongoing green revolution in full force, Toyota has replaced the RX 350’s 3.5-litre V6 with a new 2.4-litre turbocharged unit. It now makes 279hp and 429Nm of torque; this is a decrease of nearly 20hp but an increase of 68Nm, compared to the older-gen model.
Transmission is handled by an eight-speed automatic, with either front or rear-wheel drive. However, despite the loss in power, Lexus claims the RX can sprint from 0-100kph in 7.2 seconds, 0.7 seconds faster than its predecessor.
While we are yet to hear from Toyota India about the launch, we do expect the 2023 Lexus RX to come to our market some time next year.
( Image credits: Toyota, Lexus )
