Why is a Lexus relevant in these times of sackcloth and ashes? writes Brian Byrne. Or in post Celtic Tiger equivalents, own-brand cotton shirts and jeans from Debenhams.
Well, I suppose first because there are always people around with the money to buy cars at this status and quality level. But also because it is the Lexus owners and their likes in other elite brands who actually pay for the development of improvements in comfort, safety, and economy which eventually filter down to us in the mass market. And they filter down an awful lot faster these days than they used to.
Think hybrid drivetrains, which in the Toyota/Lexus compound have been developed more across the upmarket brand's range than in any other automotive company's products to date.
Think overall refinement, comfort and specification elements and most of those which we have seen in the Lexuses and equivalents are long since available at least as options in the cars which most of us can afford to drive.
And more specifically to the RX range from Lexus, now touted as a crossover rather than the SUV style of its parentage, think about a very large car, with full luxury trimmings and fitments, and as many safety gizmos as you'd want as well as a decent degree of 'soft-road' capability. With a C car tax rating, and even a B one if you opt for the new 2WD version.
There's no diesel option in the RX. There's no straight petrol option, either, any more. This is now a hybrid-only vehicle, and in the environment where it is most likely to be spotted this is where it does its business best. The electric end of the motor gubbins can do a lot of the suburban and city driving, certainly cutting down on fuel consumption in the stop-go of the commuter hotspots.
There's no rev-counter here. Just a dial divided into charge, eco and power segments. After a while you stop distracting yourself by looking at the graphic that shows whether the system is running on battery or engine or a combination of both, or recharging on the over-run and braking modes. It is, of course, automatic, a CVT system that is best suited to a hybrid.
All that said, the RX 450h is first and foremost a luxury car par excellence. It is big and it is distinctive, and there's no mistaking it for any other brand, especially if it is that imposing front and its big 'L' that's nosing up behind you on the motorway. For personal taste I could do without the rather large roof-spoiler over the rear window, but I suppose it does help to keep that window clean.
Inside is all leather, wood and some sexy variants of controls and instrumentation, but nothing off the wall. Memory pre-sets on the driver's seat actually don't take a degree to master. What does take a little getting used to is hitting the 'Start' button and not hearing anything happening.
Yep, it's a hybrid, of course. Forgot for a minute. That 'Ready' light is all I need. Into Drive, press what used to be called the loud pedal, and swish away. If the battery charge doesn't feel up to it all for the moment, or you want a bit more beef, the V6 cuts in seamlessly and with very little to account for in noise terms.
It's all very economical, given the size and performance of the car. The powertrain output is a tad short of 300 horses, which is, for the sake of comparison, almost the same as propels the howling Ford Focus RS. The AWD version under review offers just 148g/km in CO2 emissions.
The 4WD capability of the RX 450h is made happen by putting a second electric motor to power the rear wheels. Lexus calls it their E-Four system, and it only cuts in when required by driving style or road conditions. E-Four is typically engaged during heavy acceleration, when cornering or driving up a steep hill. The whole thing is, it's seamless, just like the hybrid system. And what you really get from the whole experience is comfortable, fast if necessary, but always very refined motoring.
It doesn't matter how it's done, really. Just that it happens.
