Lexus RX350 vs Lexus RX350L

What's the difference?

This is a BIG moment for the Lexus RX in Australia. And I'm not just referring to the spindle grille that adorns the front-end of this all-new model (though it too is almost commercially massive).

I'm talking more about the vehicle itself, and its importance to the Lexus brand here. The RX is one of Lexus' best sellers in Australia, and so this new one – which welcomes a new platform, new powertrain options and an all-new F Sport Performance trim level – is a big deal.

So, does it live up to the hype (and to its German competition)? Join me as we figure all that out ahead of the RX's debut here in early 2023.

It's just about so late to the seven-seat party that all that remains is a tired cleaner sweeping up confetti and cake crumbs, but Lexus has at last launched an SUV with a third row of seats. 

Well, technically it hasn’t so much launched a new model as it has extended its existing large SUV, adding a 110mm extension behind the rear wheels to squeeze in two extra seats and form the RX L 

Lexus shifted around 2000 units of its five-seat RX last year, and the brand’s local executives reckon 20 per cent of premium SUV shoppers are chasing a seven-seat car. If those numbers stack up, it could mean a 400-strong annual sales boost for the RX range.

A big deal for the Japanese premium brand, then. But what about the rest of us? Is bigger really better for the RX?