2019 Lexus RC gets more chiseled looks, a retuned suspension
The Lexus RC coupe was perhaps Lexus’s most daringly styled vehicle when it debuted several years ago, but even a design this bold needs updates to stay fresh. Lexus is giving the RC just that for 2019 with a refresh that brings revised looks along with some interior tweaks and a retuned chassis.
The changes made to the RC’s front and rear ends are welcome, though unlikely to alter anyone's opinion of this
polarizing design. The reshaped front bumper looks a bit tidier, the new LED headlights are more modern, and the mesh grille insert for the F Sport version pictured here is more consistent with the rest of Lexus’s F Sport lineup. The taillights are new, too, and incorporate an L-shaped LED strip, while there are new air ducts in the bumper that, along with a fin on the side windows, supposedly improve the car’s aerodynamic qualities. New 19-inch wheels for the F Sport model are also on the menu; we assume the other models’ wheel options will change too.
At work under the skin is a retuned suspension that features stiffer bushings, different dampers, and new tires. We doubt it’ll change the driving experience much, and we don’t think the RC’s powertrains will change much either (Lexus hasn’t released info on the engines yet). Like last year’s model, we expect the lineup to include a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder for rear-wheel-drive RC300 models, a 3.5-liter V-6 in a 260-hp state of tune for the RC300 AWD, and a 311-hp version of that V-6 for all RC350 models.
You might have trouble spotting the changes to the RC’s interior, which include different trim for the gauges and center stack and larger knee pads. There are some new interior color options, too.
More information should be coming soon about the 2019 RC, which will be officially shown at the Paris auto show in October before going on sale sometime later this year. The high-performance RC F won't be getting the same revisions for 2019, but we expect it to be updated for 2020, with a possible hardercore GT version to appear around that time, too.