Lexus has been producing its RX crossover since 1997, not that it made any kind of lasting impression. With all due respect to what is essentially a very good car, RXs of old had about as much visual clout as a drain cover.
They were not unattractive, just dull and a bit too good at blending in for what is a fairly expensive luxury vehicle from a premium manufacturer.
Thankfully, at the end of 2010, Lexus came out with its LFA supercar; this was an astonishing diversion for the Japanese manufacturer with its aggressive angular design.
Since then, new Lexus vehicles, inspired by that design, have gradually morphed into machines with a lot more presence and the new RX is nothing if not utterly striking with its huge grille, razor sharp edges, a panoramic moon roof and the fabulous “floating roof” design. All trim packages work well but the F-Sport detailing makes the RX look particularly potent, especially with very cool 20-inch wheels filling the angular arches.
The RX 350 is powered by a normally aspirated 3.5 litre V6 which owners of previous generation RX 350s will be familiar with although it has been revised and now produces around 300bhp. The transmission is now an eight-speed auto and the F-Sport is all wheel drive only.
I found the engine to be very refined with a wide power band and although the RX 350 isn’t a car that can be described as fast, it is certainly brisk and the power available proved to be more than adequate when I had to put my foot down which is of course helped by the relatively short ratios made possible by the eight-speed.
Although the F-Sport variant doesn’t offer an increase in power, it does offer adaptive suspension which is suitably stiff when the car is in its two sport modes and this does prove to be effective when driving in a spirited manner. The sport modes also make the automatic gearbox a lot more attentive to your input and holds gears longer before shifting up.
The RX is quite a heavy car and although it does offer decent handling in the twisties it soon becomes apparent that it is most at home cruising on motorways and it does this job very well indeed. It is very comfortable, quiet and refined. One of the biggest areas of improvement in the new RX is the interior which is beautifully designed and oozes real upmarket prestige.
In the F-Sport, there are paddleshifts on the steering wheel which are nicely positioned and certainly up the ante in driving enjoyment providing a more engaging experience.
The seats are a particular strong point, offering considerable comfort and multiple adjustment options. The dash is dominated by a huge 12.3 inch Electro Multi-Vision display and the instrument cluster is very nicely designed and uncluttered.
The infotainment system is what you would expect from a car of this calibre and the whole technology package is very impressive. Rear seat entertainment is available as an optional extra in the F-Sport and leg room in the rear is improved in the 2016 RX thanks to the five-inch increase in the overall length of the vehicle over the previous generation.
The interior appears to be fully covered in hide although on close inspection it is apparent that some of this leather is in fact plastic but it doesn’t really detract from the overall feeling of quality and it is considerably better than previous generation RXs.
As is typical of Lexus, the new RX is packed with advanced safety features such as a pre-collision warning system, a lane departure alert, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic monitor and lane keep assist. There are front and rear parking cameras and sensors which make slotting into a space incredibly easy. There is also a rather useful head up display which keeps you from having to take your eyes off the road.
Overall, I was impressed by the 2016 RX 350. It is distinctly Japanese but of a European standard of quality and in my view, it is finally worthy of being labelled a luxury crossover. It is a very tasty bit of kit but I would like to see the addition of an RX-F with a turbocharged V6 and around 400bhp to take on its high performance rivals.
