The Lexus RX has been revealed ahead of its Q4 arrival in Australia, with the five- or seven-seat SUV getting a cabin-tech overhaul with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to make their brand debut.
There's no change under the bonnet, with the same 3.5-litre, six-cylinder unit good for 221kW and 370Nm, and a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine producing 175kW and 350Nm, as well as a hybrid option.
But Lexus is promising its engineers have overhauled the suspension and stiffened the body in the pursuit of sharper cornering and more dynamic prowess.
The brand has redesigned the RX's shock absorbers, now fit with friction-control system designed to iron out road imperfection for a smoother ride, while Lexus says the addition of more substantial stabiliser bars and new welding and adhesive techniques have sharpened the SUV's steering response.
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The Lexus RX has been revealed ahead of its Q4 arrival in Australia.
The design has evolved, rather than been overhauled, with new paint options, new wheel designs, a reshaped "spindle" grille and a new headlight design. Lexus is also calming a world first with auto high-beam system, with the LEDs using the "blade-scan" tech that, using a spinning mirror, bounces light outside the usual straight-ahead path, helping spot walking pedestrians and road signs.
But in perhaps the biggest change for owners, Lexus has finally ditched the mousepad system used to control the multimedia screen, which is now a touchscreen system that, by the time it arrives in Australia, will run both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The trackpad persists, but the tech update means you can now largely ignore it.
How important is cabin technology to you? Tell us in the comments below.
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold.
But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul.
And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard.
When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House.
But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others.
More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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