Lexus RX350 2006 News

Read related storyPatrick Loved the yellow Hummer, I just want one !Grant The Subaru Tribeca seems an awesome car. Look at its list of standard features for $53000 - leaves an X5 or Territory for dead. OK, the front grille takes a bit of getting used to, power could be up a bit for its weight, but you do get all the usual Subie delights, 5 star safety and quality. Definitely worth a test drive on November 25!Mark Mercedes e280cdei definatly the bestDan The absolute standout was the new BMW 3 series coupe. Can't believe no one else has mentioned it. What a sexy car! Looks much better in the metal than in photos...David Rome The Mazda CX7 is very fresh and the new BT-50 ute looks the goods to take some salesMichael Volvo C70 What a Glamour!!the engineer Mitsubishi TRM 380- bring it on in AWD! Would sell double current! Should have been the original 380 GT.Audi R8 ;-)Captiva <8>-(French Body Art 8-)Bob Rona Gotta Be the Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury!!Jay The Saab Aero X concept car looks extraordinary. I was pretty impressed with the XR5 Turbo Ford Focus - hopefully if they bring it out in diesel, there would be a lot more interest and salesDavid Lunn Mazda CX7John The Mitsui 380 supercharged - grabbed allot of attention (so did the girls in the red dresses); I also like the new Outlander V6 & Astra convertible (or at least my wife did).Lex Biggar Audi R8william yates dark 4 door mitsi I believe it's a Tommy Mac serise and also shannon's stand the rest well............Kim I must agree with Bob MX-S ROADSTER COUPE The best by far!Jim Until I hit the Mitsubishi stand the show was a let down for me. Thank you to the Mitsubishi Girls for making the show worthwhile.Julie Definetely the Honda Legend & the Audi RX8.aaron need this so i could have this to have it better then i wont be a laughting stockNick Definitely the Mitsubishi TRM 380 - because I might be able to afford it and it looks great. Can't wait to test drive it.David Lyons Peugeot 207Stephen HSV GTS is my current realistic dream carROBERT DAWSON MX-S ROADSTER COUPEKris Audi R8 looked absolutely brilliant, that will be a real winner when it lands here. The Audi TT also looked really neat.Other cars to impress were the Volvo C30 and Suzuki SX4 WRC prototype.wazza smith nonesasha The Convertible Ford Focus. I simply love it. The new Fairmont Ghia was nice too.I did not like the Camry V6 sorry Avalon, sorry again, Aurion.Now I have gone and twisted my tongue. Anyone know a good tongue doctor <8>-). .... At least I can still type.The Volvo C30 was nice too as was the Land Rover Discovery.The Holden Commodores looked pretty decent although the Captiva did not captivate.Its too tall and skinny. I saw one in a shopping centre car park right next to a Territory and boy did it look like it needed some widening.I was also quite impressed with the Audi R8.The Hummer reminded me too much of the war in Iraq (I am against senseless wars). I also thought the Citroens were cool.Sean Hickey HSV GTS a true sports car at third of the price.I enjoyed the show,love to dream but quite a few people could get a GTS

It's hard sell, but Lexus thinks it can convince enough buyers to move into its new 400h. The 400h is the hybrid version of the RX350 and commands a $10,000 premium over the Sports Luxury petrol RX or a tick under $20,000 for the entry Sports RX. So the recommended retail of $94,100 is a fair sting for what is essentially a compact luxury SUV. Despite the cost drawbacks of wanting to go green Lexus says it has three months worth of orders and figures the 400h will account for about 20 per cent (1500 cars) of the RX volume in Australia next year. Since it first went on sale in the US in April last year 33,000 have been sold which accounts for 22 per cent of total RX sales. The 400h is based on the superseded 3.3-litre petrol engine which made way for the 3.5-litre RX350. Lexus says the new engine was unavailable for the world launch last year. The 400h joins Toyota's Prius and the Lexus GS450h sedan and Honda Civic hybrid as the list of petrol/electric vehicles grows in Australia. Next year Lexus will launch the world's first petrol/electric V8 hybrid, the LS600hL. So what are the benefits of having such an SUV wagon? Lower fuel consumption (8.1litres/100km), reasonable performance and vastly lower emissions (192grams/km) which on Lexus's figures is about 58 per cent of those of the nearest similar petrol engine. The hybrid incorporates three electric motors/generators while a compound planetary gear set in the transaxle acts as a power splitting device and electronically controlled continuously variable transmission to drive the front wheels. The front and rear main electric motors are used for normal starts and when more urge is required the third electric motor fires up the petrol engine which works in tandem with the other two electric motors. As in existing hybrid cars, the petrol engine switches off when the vehicle stops while the electric motors are ready for starts. Using the brakes makes the two main electric motors act as generators which help slow the vehicle down and send electric power to the battery. The Electronic Continously Variable Transmission is the essence of the hybrid which links the two 650-volt electric motor/generators and the petrol engine through the planetary gear set. Even the air-conditioning can be powered by electricity when the petrol engine is not functioning, as in stopping at traffic lights. The petrol V6 engine provides 155kW of power and 288Nm of torque while the main front electric motor generates 123kW and 333Nm. The rear electric motor is good for 50kW and 130Nm. The total system (petrol/electric) puts out 200kW with the petrol component driving the car and driving the third motor/generator to charge the battery. Lexus claim the 400h gives the luxury arm of Toyota a point of difference in the showroom. Already the Lexus GS450h powered by a mix of electric power and the 3.5-litre petrol engine is exceeding sales of the diesel BMW 530i and Jaguar S-Type turbo diesel. Lexus says the 400h has the advantage over diesels in that there is no mess at the bowser and there is no need for particulate filters. ON THE ROAD THERE are no compromises with the RX 400h something Lexus knows is vital to the market. Whereas there are compromises with diesel cars in terms of messy, smelly bowsers and soot filter replacement there is no such baggage with hybrids. About the only known hiccup is battery life. The 400h uses three electric motors and while there is no hard and fast evidence, Lexus says the life expectancy is more than 10 years. Lexus is unsure about battery life because it says it hasn't had to replace one. A replacement battery would be around $3000-$4000 but probably would be an issue for a used buyer. Inside the three-binnacle display remains except a power meter replace the tacho on the left. Surprisingly the 400h is a little soft on take off despite the factory claiming 7.6sec for 0-100km/h. There is not as much launch as one would anticipate particularly as take-off is powered by the electric motors which develop maximum torque at stall. And if you mash the accelerator everything starts to get a bit noisy, another surprise when Lexus is known for its refinement. On the drive in suburban Sydney and out to Camden in the south-west, the brake pedal felt a little soft and spongy, perhaps a result of the regenerative set-up of the stoppers. Once the 400h finds its legs and is up and running all is fine. The rolling performance is as good as any Lexus. The RX 400h shares a lot of kit with the RX 350 Sports Luxury version like 18-inch alloys, bluetooth, rear view camera and rear guide assist, touch-screen navigation and a fancy 11-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. What it gains over the RX 350 Sports Luxury is the VDiM (Vehicle Dynamics integrated Management System) which tells the rear electric motor to provide torque to the rear wheels to maintain stability, seat heaters up front, leather steering wheel instead of woodgrain and metallic trim on the shifter and surrounds as well as centre console. On the 70km launch drive with two up fuel consumption was 8.3-litres/100km from a best just below 8-litres to a touch over 8.5-litres. But fuel consumption is not the decisive factor in the buying decision. It is only a part of the picture, emissions and a machine which is seen to be a bit mean around town yet remains green is the essence of why people will ante up almost $100,000 for an electrified Lexus.

One of the headline acts will be the French star of recent independent crash tests - the Citroen C6 - which has been acclaimed as the safest car yet tested by the New Car Assessment program.The C6, set to go on sale in Australia by the middle of the year, is the fi rst car to earn the maximum four stars from Euro NCAP for its pedestrian safety rating, as well as a maximum fi ve stars for occupant protection.It's also won an award as the world's most beautiful large sedan.The C6 is offering two V6 engines - a 2.7-litre 150kW turbo diesel or a three-litre 155kW petrol engine; both drive the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.Alfa Romeo's 156 range brought the Italian brand back to the fore in Australia with fl air and passion. It's replacement, the 159, continues in that tradition. It will offer more modern drivetrains - and even a V6 with Australian roots - when it hits the market mid year.Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre, the new car will come in both front and all-wheel drive versions, with the Q4 permanent four-wheel drive system using three diffs to split drive.The Alfa Romeo 159 is the first of a whole family of new Alfas due over the next two years, including the Brera.Lexus will be the fi rst car maker to offer a luxury hybrid model, with its GS petrol-electric hybrid offering plenty of performance with the thirst and emissions of a two-litre.The Toyota-owned luxury brand also has a hybrid version of the RX SUV but the company's stand in Adelaide will feature the RX350 - which sees the looks get a nip and tuck, with a new more-powerful and more fuel-effi cient engine beneath its sculpted snout.When Volkswagen went back to the factoryowned subsidiary, they announced high hopes of surpassing 20,000 units by now. They haven't got there yet but with more than 15,000 sales last year the German car maker is on the right track.The prestige segment will see the Passat return with a vengeance this year, with direct-injection two-litre petrol and turbo-diesel engines, or a V6 petrol engine, on offer in either sedan or wagon body style.The sales have had a boost from the new Golf and the newly-introduced (and keenly-priced) Jetta, giving the German car maker plenty of ammunition to work with.Peugeot will give Adelaide show-goers a look at its new 407 Coupe, a sleek, powerful and attractive 2+2 that will be offered in petrol and diesel models on sale in Australia as the show opens.The coupe will be offered with a three-litre 155kW/290Nm V6 petrol engine with either a sixspeed manual gearbox or new six-speed automatic transmission for $65,990 and $68,190 respectively.The sleek Pug will also be offered with a 2.7-litre V6 HDi twin-turbo diesel offering 150Kw and 440Nm with a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard. It will be priced at $72,500.Porsche chose to introduce the Australian motoring media to the Cayman S in the countryside surrounding Adelaide and its fi tting the German brand returns to the motor show this year with the same model.The Cayman S is more than a Boxster with a roof, sharing inlet systems and some other nice bits with the 911.The bulk of the DNA traces back to the midengined Boxster, which gives the two-seater Cayman the same basic powerplant - although slightly larger - plus the superb road manners and balance that has made the convertible a popular option among Porsche buyers.Chrysler has returned to the Australian market with plenty of enthusiasm and some interesting product, the latest and most powerful example of that statement being the 300C sedan.Soon to be followed by diesel and wagon variants, the V8 300C has serious visual impact and packs plenty of equipment to take on the big locally-built luxury sedans.The Chrysler has the added attraction of displacement on demand, which drops fourcylinders from use to save fuel when light throttle loads are required.

The LF-A high performance concept car will be accompanied by the the world?s first luxury hybrid sedan and the next generation of the best selling local Lexus ever.Leading the performance charge is the LF-A concept car, a two-seater supercar powered by a 373 kW-plus V10 engine. for an estimated top speed of more than 320 km/h.This performance is complemented by Lexus levels of luxury, comfort and equipment, and the styling is a clear indication of where Lexus is heading in the next few years.Lexus is leading the high performance hybrid charge with its GS450h, which combines a 218 kW direct-injection 3.5-litreV6 with a 148 kW electric motor for breakthrough levels of hybrid car performance.Due to go on sale in the first half of the year, the world?s first luxury hybrid is designed to deliver the performance of a 4.5 litre engine with the economy of a 2.0 litre engine, and extremely low emissions.Also making its Australian debut at Melbourne will be the next generation of the most successful local Lexus model ever, the soon-to be-released RX350 luxury SUV.The RX350 expands on the virtues of the RX330, three-time winner of Australia?s Best Luxury SUV award among other national and international accolades.With a new dual VVTi 3.5-litre V6, the RX350 offers improved power and torque over the RX330 and is due to go on sale in March.Melbourne International Motor Show runs from Thursday 9 February to Sunday 19 February at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, and is organised and promoted by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce through its dealer division the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Vic).