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.
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.
