Lexus RX Reviewed

The Lexus RX is already the Japanese company’s worldwide bestseller. It was the first car in UK which had petrol-electric hybrid power. No wonder Lexus have stayed with this winning formula for the new RX.The RX450h really stands out from its rivals and virtually every other car because it can be driven on pure electricity. Push the EV button on the centre console and the RX travels at up to 25mph on battery power alone. It only lasts for a couple of miles before the 3.5-litre V6 kicks in to recharge the batteries. This means you’re generating zero emissions and it’s costing you zero pounds in petrol.

The most remarkable thing about the RX is its performance compared with rivals. Here is a car that at 299hp has 44hp more than the rival Range Rover Sport. At 7.5 seconds it’s a second quicker to 60mph than the Range Rover and returns 44.8mpg compared with its rival’s 32.1. Yet it remains the only SUV of its size on sale in the UK to have carbon dioxide emissions as low as 145g/km. The RX450h has a new grille.