Darth Vader Lexus set to conquer
If looks could kill, we’d all be dead! That’s what John Oxley was told while at the wheel of the latest Lexus RX 450h F Sport 4WD hybrid.
The lady wasn’t talking about my looks, or the look I was giving her, fortunately. She was enthusing about the dramatic futuristic “Darth Vader” styling of the black Lexus RX 450h, arguably one of the more exciting designs to have lately come out of this hitherto staid Japanese premium brand. “Drop-dead gorgeous,” she said, and she was right! The same goes for the interior, although it doesn’t have the same “Wow” factor as the exterior. Comfortable and club-like, perhaps, with a touch of sportiness from the F Sport aluminium instrument panel and the threespoke F Sport leather-rimmed steering wheel, with paddle shifters. Our test car came with white upholstery, and we must say this was a welcome contrast to the black trim we see on so many SUVS. The F-sport package also adds more heavily bolstered front seats, a heads-up display, a 360 degree parking camera (what a pleasure), heated rear seats (as well as the front ones), a wireless phone charger (if your phone allows it), and an “automatic” electric tailgate that opens when you wave your hand in front of the tailgate Lexus badge. As to be expected from Lexus, the 450h is packed with kit, including eight-way adjustable electric front seats with two-way lumbar support and memory, a 15-speaker audio system (upgradeable to Mark Levinson for an extra $3,000), a big central screen that’s controlled by the Lexus “mouse” between the seats, and shows sat-nav, reversing camera, as well as radio, etc. There’s also Bluetooth telephone and streaming, plus AUX input. Interior space is superb, back and front, and the rear seats are 40/60 split to increase loadability, although boot space isn’t that hot thanks to the extra room taken up by the batteries. That also means there’s quite a lift to get suitcases into the back, although the upside is that there’s no lip to lift them over, while an aluminium protector prevents scratching – just one of the many little attention-to-detail touches that makes the RX 450h that much more comfortable, and adds to the overall feeling of refinement. Apart from the edgy styling, there’s not a lot that’s new in this latest 450h – everything under the new skin is carryover. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because everything was right before. The extra grunt over the petrol-only RX 350 is immediately apparent, with the instant torque of the electric motors helping no end, while handling can best be described as safe and steady. You’re not going to throw this one around, although its active stabiliser system helps cut body roll and keeps it flat during hard cornering. The biggest thing you’re going to find once inside the 450h is just how quiet it is. And we’re not talking about electric-only mode here (it doesn’t really have one) – in normal operation it’s really quiet inside, even on rougher-surfaced roads with a strong wind blowing! At the end of the day, that’s what you’ve paid for. The RX 450h is an expensive vehicle, a hybrid statement that not only do you care about the environment, but that we’ve done enough to have made it in the world.