motoring 51
RX means refined excellence
You could have a lot of fun in a Lexus without going anywhere, writes David Murray of The Business Magazine
The cars are so ‘feature-rich’ that a driver could keep occupied pressing buttons and flicking switches.
This is particularly true on the new Lexus RX, the ‘big beast’ of the range – the fourth generation of the luxury SUV, a car that would certainly dominate your driveway and does its best to lord it on the open road.
The RX is a big car, but, interestingly, it never seems like you are commanding a tank. There’s a sophistication about the driveability and handling of the RX that makes it feel a lot smaller than it is. Of course, the RX has that commanding driving position and bags of interior space, but it also has agility and responsiveness so, for the driver, it ticks more boxes than you might expect.
I have never driven the ‘old’ RX, but people at Lexus tell me this new version is light years from previous models. It certainly seems that the Lexus engineers have excelled themselves with the levels of craftsmanship and style in this car – it is breathtakingly well-made and refined.
The RX comes with a choice of petrol turbo and hybrid engines. The hybrid 450h couples a 3.5 litre V6 with electric motors to deliver 51mpg and 308bhp – fast enough to reach 62mph in 7.7 seconds.
But you wouldn’t buy this car for speed, you would buy it for its potent mix of luxury and practicality. You are cosseted in hand-stitched leather (red leather in the version I tried ...), and surrounded by all sorts of gadgets and gizmos. The seats are wonderfully comfortable, making a journey from Reading to Warwick and back – a mix of motorway and back-lane driving – a very pleasurable trip.
The lane departure alert is a clever device. In case you get too comfortable in those leather seats and lose concentration, a camera in the car’s nose monitors lane markings on the road surface. If you drift out of lane, a warning will sound and you will feel a brief shudder through the steering wheel to help you get back in line.
I also liked the smart tailgate. If you arrive back
at the car carrying a lot of shopping bags you don’t need to fumble for the key to open the tailgate. You simply place your hand or elbow on the Lexus badge on the ‘boot’ and it opens automatically. Very useful.
Finally, the multi-information display is one of the best I’ve seen. Not only can you access information from Google etc when you are searching a map, the display will also link by Bluetooth to your phone and project all your data – including artiste pictures from your playlist – in bright, easy-to-see graphics. And you can split-screen too, to ensure you can have navigation and other systems visible at once.
For any business executive who wants a car that makes a statement, but also is practical enough for the school-run, the new RX is an outstanding addition to our roads. On-the-road prices range from £39,995 to £57,995, so there’s a choice for all budgets.
To arrange a test drive contact Lexus Reading.
Details: Lexus Reading 0118-9758877
Lexus RX 450h
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – APRIL 2016
www.businessmag.co.uk
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