Hot new Lexus RX is a high-performance SUV nobody saw coming
Lexus is gunning for AMG and BMW M with its fast family-sized SUV
The Lexus RX SUV has been many things over its three decades on sale, but an engaging driving machine is not one of them. That might well be about to change, however, thanks to an intriguing prototype that’s been spied around Toyota’s development centre in Germany.
Just by looking at how this RX prototype sits on the road, you can tell it’s something far more performance-focused than the current hybrid-powered models. Wider wheels, aggressive Michelin tyres, huge brakes and a much lower stance all give this car some serious road presence, something underlined by flared wheel arches and small sill extensions.
More clues to this car’s performance can be seen when you take a look at modifications made to the bodywork. The front bumper, for instance, might be shared with existing RX F Sport models, but there are a few key differences. Changes include the fitment of two new air-ducts in the main grille opening that funnel air towards the brakes, but it’s the new open outer air-intakes on each side that reveal a far more telling detail.
What will power the high-performance Lexus RX?
Behind them are additional radiators or intercoolers, suggesting that this car isn’t just turbocharged, but turbocharged to a level that would require seriously substantial cooling apparatus. There’s no official indication of what sort of engine is hiding under the bonnet, but no RX of this generation is available with any more than four cylinders, suggesting that unless there are significant modifications the same will have to be be fitted here.
However, it’s common knowledge that Toyota, and by extension Lexus, is working on a range of next generation high performance powertrains. The core of this program is a brand new 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which should be capable of outputs up to 400bhp in future Gazoo Racing models. Its application here might not see it rise to that figure, but any power deficit could be offset with a big dose of hybrid assistance.
While it’s impossible to know what sort of combined output figure is on the cards for this new high performance RX, somewhere around 500bhp could be possible, giving it some useful headroom above the existing RX500h F Sport. This is still some way short of models from AMG or BMW M, but matching the Germans for power has rarely been the highest priority for Lexus. Instead, this new high performance RX could prove to be a more efficient, and potentially lighter, type of high performance SUV.
A new kind of lightweight performance SUV?
Toyota hybrids typically have a relatively low weight figure due to their small battery packs, and with many German SUVs now crossing the 2.5-tonne threshold in terms of kerb weight, this new RX could be lighter to the tune of nearly 400kg if the existing hybrid-powered RX500h is used as a starting point. However, the lack of a large battery pack also brings the reality of little, if any, all-electric range.
Given the timing of this prototype, the production variant of whatever this will turn into will probably happen after the RX’s incoming mid-life update. Some of those specific performance-oriented additions – such as the brake cooling ducts, wider arches and dual-exhaust outlets – should be accompanied by other range-wide design changes. The cabin is also sure to be given a few updates, including an adoption of the new interior that’s been recently introduced on the latest Lexus NX SUV.
When, and how much?
Due to Lexus’s sometimes erratic pattern of launching new models, we could see this new RX model as early as next year; however, the brand’s tendency to spend a long time developing high performance models means we might see this slip further out. It’s also not known what high performance badge it might feature, potentially it could mimic the Lexus LBX RR Morizo that was promised, but has yet to materialise in the UK.
Whatever it might be called, it is tricky to pin down a potential price point or what it could rival as a result, but sporty high-end SUVs aren’t in short supply. Mercedes-AMG’s new GLC 53 has regained a six-cylinder mild-hybrid powertrain, meaning it once again operates directly against the BMW X3 M50 and Audi SQ5. However, the Lexus is both physically bigger and likely to be more powerful, but doesn’t go to the extremes of the V8-powered AMG GLE 63 S or new Audi SQ 7. Who knows, this new Lexus just might hit a sweet spot.
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