Will the 2022 Lexus RX get three hybrid powertrains? SUV rival BMW X5 and Volvo XC90 to be greener than current model

The next-generation RX may take some design cues from the 2018 Lexus LF-Limitless Concept 1.

Lexus looks set to capitalize on the surge in hybrid car sales worldwide by offering not one, but three hybrid powertrain options for the next generation RX.

The new competitor for the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Genesis GV80 and other large premium SUVs is expected to arrive this year in fifth-generation guise, and go on sale in Australia early in the second half of the year.

According to Japanese Magazine X и Creative 311 blog, the next generation RX will omit the 221kW/370Nm 3.5-litre V6 engine from the RX350 that has been used in many Lexus models over the years, including the IS sedan and the mid-range SUX NX.

It will be replaced by a new 2.4-liter turbocharged petrol engine that will debut in the NX this month and develop 205kW/430Nm. This will keep the RX350 moniker.

Reports also suggest that Lexus could also ditch the RX450h and replace it with a new flagship plug-in hybrid dubbed the RX500h, which combines a 2.4-liter turbo with an electric motor while offering some all-electric range.

The current RX450h is a production hybrid with a 3.5-liter V6 engine and 230 kW/335 Nm.

Another new model, the RX450h+, will combine a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter petrol engine - probably the same as the NX350h - with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery.

The current Lexus RX has been around since late 2015.

The entry-level RX350h hybrid variant will likely match the NX350h, using a 2.5-liter engine and an electric motor. In the NX, this powertrain has a power output of 179kW. According to reports, the RX450h+ and RX350h are serial hybrids.

The new RX is expected to build on Toyota's New Global Architecture (TNGA-K) mid-to-large platform, which already forms the basis of the NX SUV and ES sedan, as well as the Toyota Kluger, Camry and RAV4.

It will continue to be offered with the option of a third row of seats, putting it in competition with the likes of the Volvo XC90, Audi Q7 and others in the premium large SUV segment.

In terms of design, it may be based on the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept that was unveiled at the 2018 Detroit auto show, but some design elements are expected to be carried over from the new NX.

The new RX follows the February launch of the new NX, but it's not expected to arrive before the Toyota LandCruiser-based flagship LX.

The current fourth generation RX has been around since late 2015 and relies on a version of the old Toyota K platform that has been around since the early 2000s.

This is the second most popular Lexus mode by sales in Australia, with 1908 registrations (+1.5%) last year, but not as many as the NX (3091).

Among its competitors, it outsold the Audi Q7 (1646), Range Rover Sport (1475), Volkswagen Touareg (1261) and Volvo XC90 (1323) last year, but failed to outsell the Mercedes-Benz GLE (3591) and BMW X5. (3173).