Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

An RX Art Work special edition was also released today by Lexus Japan, who have teamed up with Stone Designs on some wild interior color schemes:

Here’s some detail shots of the interior:
Both this RX and the previously mentioned IS are really quite playful — quirky even — and while it’s tough to imagine a market for these colors in North America, but I’m really excited to see this kind of customization coming out of Japan.
(Also noticed, the RX 270 has started production is now available in Japan.)
[Source: Lexus Japan]
Tags: art-works, Japan, rx, rx-3, rx270, rx350, special-edition
Posted in Interiors, Japan, Lexus RX: 3rd Generation, Special Editions | 4 Comments »
Monday, July 12th, 2010

Toyota & Tesla are now two weeks into their partnership (in which Toyota purchased a $50M stake in Tesla), and it’s rumored that their first joint-project will be converting a Lexus RX to a full electric prototype:
Tesla said July 10 that it will deliver two prototypes vehicles to Toyota this month without identifying the models. While Toyota also aims to test an electric Corolla compact car, the RAV4 and RX light trucks are better suited to the weight of Tesla’s battery pack, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the vehicles haven’t been announced yet.
The target for a model developed with Tesla would be for a car that costs about $40,000 with 150 miles (240 kilometers) of driving range per charge, the person familiar with the plans said.
“Toyota and Tesla engineering teams have made a lot of progress in a short amount of time,” JB Straubel, Tesla’s chief technology officer, said in a July 10 e-mail message.
It may not be a vehicle as exciting as Tesla’s own Roadster, but with the RX already engineered to support a battery pack with its hybrid version, it’s a natural choice to be prototyped using the Tesla electric platform.
Even more than the models chosen, I’m surprised by the speed of this partnership — I wouldn’t have expected an announcement so soon, never mind the possibility that we may see a full-electric Lexus prototype before the year is out.
[Source: Bloomberg]
Tags: electric, partnership, rx, rx-3, rx350, rx450h, rxh, rxh-2, tesla
Posted in Features, Hybrids, Lexus RX Hybrid: 2nd Generation, Lexus RX: 3rd Generation, Rumors | 10 Comments »
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the 2010 Lexus RX its TOP SAFETY PICK award.
This designation recognizes the RX for earning the highest possible rating for front, side, rollover, and rear crash protection, along with being equipped with electronic stability control, which is standard.
Tags: award, iihs, rx, rx-3, rx350, rx450h, rxh, rxh-2, safety, USA
Posted in Awards, Lexus RX, Lexus RX Hybrid, Lexus RX Hybrid: 2nd Generation, Lexus RX: 3rd Generation, USA | 5 Comments »
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
It appears that another smaller-displacement Lexus model will be joining the ES 240 in the Chinese market after spyshots were captured during a domestic road test:


According to Chinese website Sohu, the RX 270 will become the entry-level model in Lexus China‘s RX lineup, and will feature a 2.7L 1AR-FE inline-four gasoline engine, producing 187 horsepower and 252 Nm of torque.
The introduction of lower-displacement models in China is a necessary strategy due to the country’s imposition of high excise taxes in 2008. These taxes targeted vehicles with 3.0L or higher engine displacement, which meant prior to the ES 240’s introduction, all of Lexus China’s vehicles were subject to the 25% to 40% excise tax.
[Source: Sohu.com (translated)] (Thanks Ouan and Foo Foo!)
Tags: China, rx, rx-2, rx270, rx350, rx450h
Posted in China, Lexus RX, Lexus RX: 2nd Generation, Lexus RX: 3rd Generation, Spy Shots | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
I’m late to the party on this Lexus RX commercial that debuted at this year’s Superbowl:
I’ve been driving an RX 450h for the better part of three months, and I have to admit, this commercial captures much of what my final review will focus on. The RX’s best feature is how well it fits into everyday life.
(Thanks Dan!)
Tags: commercial, hybrid, official, rx, rx-3, rx350, rx450h, rxh, rxh-2, video
Posted in Advertising, Commercials, Lexus RX, Lexus RX Hybrid, Lexus RX Hybrid: 2nd Generation, Lexus RX: 3rd Generation, Videos | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Intellichoice announced their annual Best Overall Values of the Year awards at the Chicago Auto Show last week, and Lexus was well represented. The IS took the Luxury Sports Sedan/Wagon category and the RX was named the best overall value in the Luxury Crossover category and the Best Crossover/SUV value over $28,000.
Tags: award, bovy, consumer, intellichoice, rx-3, rx350, rx450h, rxh-2, USA, value
Posted in Awards, Lexus IS, Lexus RX, Lexus RX Hybrid: 2nd Generation, Lexus RX: 3rd Generation, USA | No Comments »
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