November 2022
Performance RX 500h F Sport announced
The benefits of electrification are not just about making cars cleaner and more fuel efficient. There are also real opportunities to deliver a more exciting driving experience, as Lexus’s radical new RX 500h F Sport Performance model proves.
This exclusive member of the all-new RX family of large luxury SUVs is a new kind of hybrid electric model – one with a primary focus on performance. The hybrid powertrain is rich in innovation: a new, high-torque, turbocharged 2.4-litre engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and a separate rear electric eAxle enabling Lexus’s new DIRECT4 precision all-wheel drive control.
This advanced powertrain is just one element in the equation. It works in harmony with a fine-tuned dynamic package of chassis, steering, suspension and braking to give the driver a constant sense of connection, control comfort and confidence. These are the key elements in the brand-defining Lexus Driving Signature, delivered to great effect in the RX 500h.
Chief Engineer Takaaki Ohno explains: “Our goal with the RX 500h was to create a car that gives an exhilarating driving experience and generates a dialogue with the driver. To achieve this, we have further evolved the Lexus Driving Signature by thoroughly strengthening the vehicle fundamentals, as well as adopting Lexus’s new four-wheel drive force system, DIRECT4.
“The RX 500h delivers a powerful, direct, and responsive driving experience through a hybrid electric system with a new high output rear motor. The brakes offer excellent control and rigidity, and the car is equipped with Dynamic Rear Steering with a large steering angle that provides high manoeuvrability and a sense of security at high speeds. This further enhances interaction with the car and delivers a pleasant driving experience. Its addition to the RX range, along with fuel-efficient hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric models, provides a diverse line-up that can meet the needs and preferences of a wider range of customers.”
A new direction in hybrid electric technology
The new hybrid powertrain architecture is unlike anything Lexus has produced before. The essential self-charging principle is the same, but the front electric motor is positioned between the engine and the new automatic transmission, with a clutch on each side. This design gives strong power delivery while retaining the EV driving capability that’s characteristic of a Lexus full hybrid electric system. It is the most powerful RX yet, with total power output of 366bhp/273kW and 550Nm maximum torque. This translates into 0-62mph acceleration in 6.2 seconds. This is the kind of performance you might expect from a three-litre V6 engine, but with superior fuel economy – the RX 500h achieves 34 to 35.3mpg on the WLTP combined cycle.
A new, compact, six-speed automatic transmission has been introduced for the first time. It’s being used in preference to the eCVT system in other Lexus hybrid electric powertrains to better realise the potential of the high torque from the turbo engine and motor. It is engineered to avoid frequent shifts and offers the driver the option of manual operation using paddle controls on the steering wheel. When the driver presses the throttle, response is instant with a powerful, linear increase in speed.
The RX 500h is the first Lexus model to use a bi-polar nickel-metal hydride battery (NiMH). This technology reduces resistance so the battery has a higher load and unload capacity. It also allows the unit’s size to be optimised – 1.4 times the number of cells can be accommodated in the same space compared to the standard NiMH battery. These qualities enable twice the power to be achieved from a unit of the same size. The driver enjoys the benefit of stronger acceleration while the battery’s location beneath the car’s rear seat helps the low centre of gravity and avoids loss of cabin or load space. The battery is also quieter, thanks to refinement of its air-cooling system.
DIRECT4 all-wheel drive force control
The RX 500h is the first RX to adopt Lexus’s new DIRECT4, an intelligent electronic control system that instantaneously and seamlessly adjusts the front and rear drive torque to all four wheels to provide optimum grip and maintain stability. Drive to the rear wheels is provided by the rear eAxle with a separate electric motor and inverter. It makes for a more comfortable ride with better body control and a more rewarding experience for the driver, communicating a more connected feel between the road and the steering wheel.
Bespoke dynamic features
Like the rest of the new RX range, the RX 500h has the fundamental benefit of the Lexus GA-K platform, giving the car a low centre of gravity, high body rigidity and a balanced chassis with good inertia characteristics. Building on this, the car’s dynamic elements have been tuned and engineered with a performance focus. These include Dynamic Rear Steering which automatically adopts the best steering angle for the rear wheels, according to the car’s speed and direction. At low speeds, the wheels move counter to those at the front for nimble manoeuvring, while at high speeds they turn in line with the front axle, helping keep the car stable. The system gives the rear wheels turning angles of up to four degrees.
More powerful brakes are fitted – 400mm ventilated front discs with six-piston aluminium callipers that are opposed rather than floating (as on other new RX models), giving greater rigidity. With an enlarged pad surface area, they give linear, direct and stable stopping performance. They are also a distinctive feature for the model, being painted black and bearing the Lexus logo. Adaptive Variable Suspension is also provided, with fast-response, independent damping control applied at each wheel.
Performance styling
This is a car that stands out, with styling features added to the new RX’s “Next Chapter” design that express its performance character. These include dedicated split-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels, body colour wheel arch trims and sills, piano black details, aero profile bumpers, F Sport badging and an exclusive mesh pattern for the grille. Inside, the theme continues with the F Sport steering wheel, shift lever and scuff plates and an aluminium pedal set. The sports front seats are finished in leather with tactile Ultrasuede bolsters.
October 2022
Lexus RX 450h+ launched
The pleasures of owning a large luxury SUV are well-established: you choose a vehicle that can carry several passengers in great comfort over long distances, with all the space you need for luggage or leisure equipment. The cabin environment is perfectly controlled; the in-car entertainment and connectivity are seamless; and you can trust in the latest generation of safety features.
Today, there’s another priority to take into account: electrified performance that maximises fuel and emissions efficiency, whether you’re making a trip around town or heading for a distant holiday location.
But just as different manufacturers offer different interpretations of “luxury,” there is more than one approach to achieving the best balance of benefits from electrification.
Lexus is ideally positioned to come up with the perfect solution: not only did it create the concept of the luxury SUV, it was also the first to bring electrified power to the premium car market, 17 years ago. That impressive leadership has produced the RX 450h+, a plug-in hybrid electric model that’s poised to become the top choice for European customers in the all-new RX range.
It provides the efficiency and powerful, responsive performance that are characteristic of a plug-in system, but goes further thanks to the superior qualities of Lexus’s hybrid technology. This technical advantage combines with the rewarding response and handling of the Lexus Driving Signature, high equipment specifications, advanced safety and driver assistance features and its unique takumi craftsmanship luxury. There’s also the benefit of smart packaging, with the RX’s adapted GA-K platform allowing the hybrid battery to be located entirely beneath the vehicle floor. This enhances dynamic performance by contributing to the car’s low centre of gravity and helps secure more space in the cabin and the load compartment.
The RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid gives you the freedom to make long, uninterrupted journeys, together with the benefits of low emissions, strong fuel economy and an extended all-electric driving capability. It’s just the kind of combination of qualities that suits today’s large SUV customers. The performance data show what the car can achieve: 25g/km CO2 emissions, 235.4mpg fuel consumption and EV range up to 42 miles (WLTP combined cycle figures). The powertrain’s output of 304bhp/227kW means performance is brisk, with 0-62mph covered in 6.5 seconds.
These figures tell only part of the story. What sets the RX 450h+ apart from its competitors is what happens when the charge in the hybrid battery is depleted. In most other plug-in hybrid vehicles, the car defaults to its petrol engine, which means higher emissions and poorer fuel economy until it can be connected to a power supply for recharging. In the Lexus, the vehicle switches seamlessly to hybrid electric performance, so that the battery is recharged as you drive and a high level of efficiency is maintained.
Using the car’s selectable driving modes, you can maximise the benefits of the plug-in hybrid electric system on every journey. EV is the default mode: the car is locked into electric running until the energy in the battery is depleted. That’s regardless of how hard the accelerator pedal is used. Auto EV/HV mode allows the hybrid engine to be brought into play temporarily when the driver wants more power, for example when bursts of acceleration are required, reducing the draw on the battery’s charge. The driver can also opt to use HV model which maintains the battery’s level of charge by starting and stopping the engine when necessary.