Although the two vehicles wear the corporate spindle grille, they aren’t differently sized copies of one another. The sides of the RX appear more sculpted. Its C-pillar area is a mixture of sheet metal and greenhouse glass. Both models also offer different front and rear lighting designs. The RX will even be available with 20-inch wheels to which you can add body-color inserts.
Under the hood, the RX 350 will have a 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. That will be coupled with an eight-speed automatic. The RX 450h hybrid’s similar gas engine and electric motor should generate approximately the same amount of power. An F Sport package, which includes a special grille treatment, instrument cluster, graphite-finish 20-inch wheels, and trim pieces, will only be available on all-wheel-drive RXs. Engine noise – as well as road roar – will be reduced by the new RX’s strengthened body structure. Handling should improve as a result of that fortification and an adaptive variable suspension.
Driver peace of mind should get a nice boost from the safety features found in the Lexus Safety System+. Those include the Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and Automatic High Beam tech. Lane Keep Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (with full stopping capabilities in certain cases), the vision-enhancing Panoramic View Monitor, and the Blind Spot Monitor electronic safety net will be on board to help, too.
Check back here for live photos of the 2016 RX. We’ll have them up soon.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.