Redesigned 2023 Lexus RX Ticks Up on Luxury and Sport
The new RX packs a quartet of turbo and hybrid powertrains, but the controls are still uber-frustrating
For more than two decades the Lexus RX has served as a benchmark for refined, stress-free, midsized luxury SUV motoring, with a quiet cabin, quality materials, and a comfortable ride. Through those years, RX owners have also benefited from a reliability record that’s about as stout as they’ve ever come. But, the RX also has never been engaging or sporty to drive, in the vein of an Audi Q7, BMW X5, or a recent competitor, the Genesis GV80.
Now entering its fifth generation, the 2023 Lexus RX looks to have moved the needle a bit toward the sporty spectrum, at least based on an RX500h F Sport Performance AWD we rented from Lexus. It helps that the new RX is about 200 pounds lighter, according to Lexus, than the outgoing model. It looks sportier, too, with a lower roofline. Overall length stays the same, but the wheelbase is more than 2 inches longer, a move that usually benefits cabin space.
The 2023 RX has four new powertrains, all of which use either turbocharging or some form of hybridization—and none of them are a naturally aspirated V6. The RX350 will be available with front- or all-wheel drive with a 275-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The RX350h is the main hybrid version of the RX line. It gets a 246-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric drive mated to an electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT) and standard all-wheel drive. A plug-in-hybrid, called the RX450h+, will come later. And finally, there’s the all-new RX500h F-Sport Performance, with a 366-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric drive, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.