Rendered: The Three-Row Lexus RX 350L Crossover


With just a couple weeks before the debut of the three-row Lexus RX at the LA Auto Show, Autoweek took a shot at forecasting what the new crossover may look like with the above rendering.

It’s expected that the differences between the standard RX and its seven-seat variant will be minimal — rumors suggest the wheelbase will be identical and that only the angle and length of the hatch will change. Autoweek has obviously subscribed to this idea, as here is the standard RX for comparison:

Lexus RX Standard

Lexus RX L Autoweek Rendering

If this turns out true, the RX L is going to be a very popular model for Lexus — if anything, the extended rear balances out the front overhang, and the additional functionality outweighs the slight bulk increase.

Let’s hear your opinion — what do you think of this Autoweek rendering?

Lexus RX: Fourth GenerationPhotochops
Comments
so there are 3rd row AC controls on left side? cool.
Only live photo I could find.

R
  • R
    RAL
  • November 29, 2017
I actually think it looks better than the 2-row RL ... front and rear overhangs look more balanced ... and floating C-pillar seems less contrived, blending better with the overall design.
Tragic Bronson
Will this make us forget last year's HOT debut? :yum :joy:
STOP
Dang that cutaway is cool!




Did anyone see captains chairs version?
C
  • C
    CIF
  • November 29, 2017
Well, it looks better than I expected, although Lexus is showing it off with the 20 inch wheels of course. I think it will look more awkward with the base 18 inch wheels. On the other hand, the more practical rear end makes it look more like a Highlander in profile.

Other than that, no big surprises here. Same old engine offered, so the RX L is bigger yet slower than the regular RX. Also that 3rd row area is quite small, which is not surprising. What is surprising is some rumors said the RX L was going to grow about 10 inches over the regular RX, but this is simply not true. A length increase of only about 4 inches over the regular RX is disappointing.

The video of the cutaway model perfectly illustrates just how little size difference there is between the RX and RX L. Yet the RX L has reduced cargo space. This RX L seems like a half-measure to me, and certainly not a very strong effort IMO. It almost seems like Lexus decided to make this RX L after many years of customers and dealers on behalf of customers requesting a large 3-row crossover, while in reality not having a truly differentiating 3-row crossover ready for market. So they made this RX L, but this is not exactly what many customers have been requesting. To call the RX L's third row comfortable or luxurious is a huge stretch.

Now don't get me wrong, this will totally eat into sales of "in-between" competitors like the MDX. However very large competitors like the Mercedes GLS don't have a whole lot to worry about, as the RX L simply isn't big enough compared to the GLS.

I have to wonder if the next-gen RX and RX L on TNGA will be the same old, or will the next-gen RX and RX L be much better differentiated.

GuoxJason
The rear windshield wiper comes out of hiding... /:
Great catch! That's a very odd change for Lexus to have made. Did they rush the R&D of this? Why would they suddenly remove the rear wiper from hiding? That's something you'd expect on a Toyota model, not a Lexus. An exposed rear wiper IMO is much more annoying to have than a hidden one.
Some notable tidbits on RX L:

From Automotive News' Laurence Iliff:

RX L...will be built in Japan and go on sale in December, a key month for Lexus and other luxury brands.

U.S. sales of the RX are flat at 84,254 this year through October in a midsize premium market that has expanded 4.9 percent.

Cooper Ericksen, vice president of marketing for Lexus, said brand officials expect about a 30 percent take rate for the RX L, with half of those buyers coming from current RX owners and the other half coming from new consumers attracted to the availability of the third row.
http://www.autonews.com/article/201...-future?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

A 30% RX L / 70% RX split? I think RX L's take rate will be higher than that. In fact, I think RX L will eventually outsell RX.

Car and Driver's Greg Fink breaks down the RX L vs RX cargo space numbers:

With all three rows of seats upright, there’s just seven cubic feet of luggage space behind the third row. Fold down the third row, and that volume increases to 23 cubic feet, which betters the standard-length model by five cubes. With all seats folded, the bigger RX has 58 cubic feet of cargo space, versus 56 in the regular RX.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/2...0hl-the-extra-long-rx-has-room-for-seven-news

Motor Trend's Zach Gale reports some bad jokes and further sales projections:

“I’ve gotta say it,” said Jeff Bracken, group vice president and general manager for Lexus, at the RX L’s debut, “that’s one L of a vehicle.”

Amusing eye-roll-worthy jokes aside, the new three-row 2018 Lexus RX L is an important vehicle for the brand, with the potential to match sales of the larger GX three-row SUV by itself. A Lexus representative tells us the RX L could add 30,000 sales to the RX’s already impressive annual sales.
http://www.motortrend.com/news/lexus-calls-three-row-2018-rx-l-one-l-vehicle/
mikeavelli
RIP MDX and QX......

It doesn't look awkward at all...looks great..interior stuns still... Hopefully F-Sport comes next year
IDK about RIP, but $$$ on the hood I can imagine that the pressure will be on with the sales war.
30k additional projected sales on top of RX? Wow, that would be completely worth it.
But at the cost of GX I guess. I'm more convinced that recent GX booms is due to the absence of RX-L not demand for premium offroaders. The dealers might be desparately holding on to their customers by keeping more GX in stock and try to convince a purchase before the RX-L becomes available. Now there must be lots of happy faces at Lexus dealers.
ssun30
But at the cost of GX I guess. I'm more convinced that recent GX booms is due to the absence of RX-L not demand for premium offroaders. The dealers might be desparately holding on to their customers by keeping more GX in stock and try to convince a purchase before the RX-L becomes available. Now there must be lots of happy faces at Lexus dealers.
It is not China :)

Us dealers don't buy cars in Stock to inflate sales, average Gx selling price is 10k more than RXL, it is different type of buyer.

Sales are reported here when customer buys vehicle not the dealer. So if there is low stock of Gx, it means there are not on lots but sold.
I realized why I like the RX L more than the standard RX: I always felt that the grill of the standard RX was too big in comparison to the rest of the vehicle. The extra heft of the RX L seems to make all of the pieces work better together... it looks more balanced, IMO.
Here's the recording of the LA press conference, also taken from the Lexus.com website:

That trunk space with 3Rd row up is pretty good

S