In the Lexus RX 350 / RX450h garage

The RX450h is positioned as the world's most efficient luxury hybrid SUV. Both have something to prove, but judging by the effort Lexus has put into both cars, it looks like they can do it.

ENGINES

The RX350 is powered by a 3.5-liter water-cooled four-cylinder twin VVT-i V6 engine that delivers 204kW at 6200rpm and 346Nm at 4700rpm. The RX450h is powered by a 3.5-litre Atkinson cycle V6 engine that fully utilizes combustion energy, making the expansion stroke longer than the compression stroke. It is connected to a rear-mounted electric motor-generator that allows the four wheels to perform regenerative braking, which in turn charges the hybrid battery.

It develops 183 kW (220 kW in total) at 6000 rpm and 317 Nm at 4800 rpm. Power to the wheels for both four-wheel drive vehicles is provided by a six-speed sequential shift transmission. Both cars accelerate to 4 km / h in about eight seconds.

Combined fuel consumption for the 350 is about 10.8 l/100 km - 4.4 liters higher than the hybrid at 6.4 l/100 km - and it puts out 254 g/km CO2, again significantly higher than the hybrid at 150 l/XNUMX km. XNUMX g/km.

exterior

On the outside, you might mistake the 350 and 450h for the same car, but if you look closely, you'll see a few design features that set them apart. Both look impressive on the road almost five meters long and two meters wide, sitting on large 18 or 19-inch alloy wheels.

But the hybrid has a redesigned grille and gets blue accents on the headlights and taillights, as well as the Lexus emblem and "hybrid" badges.

Interior

The completely new cabin design in the RX350 carries over to the RX450h, again with the exception of a few minor changes. The cabin is divided into two zones, Lexus says; "display" and "control" to provide information to passengers effortlessly, and the center console has a mouse-like joystick that navigates the multi-function display.

There is no clutter on the dashboard and the cabin feels spacious. The driving position is comfortable thanks to comfortable leather bucket seats with electronic adjustment. Better climate control, Bluetooth compatibility, sat nav, a quality sound system and a head-up display are standard, but to be expected from a car of this caliber.

The blue theme continues in a hybrid with blue accent meters. There is also a hybrid system indicator replacing the tachometer. Both cars have ample storage space including map pockets, cup holders and bottle holders, as well as a large 21-litre trash bin in the center console.

The seats are 40/20/40 split - the rear seats fold down into a flat floor - and have a quick release system. With all the seats up and the curtain in place, the rear holds 446 liters. There are also compartments under the cargo floor.

safety

Safety is definitely a feature of the 350 and 450h models. In addition to a comprehensive airbag package, both SUVs have electronic brake control, anti-lock brakes, emergency brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, traction control, vehicle stability control and integrated vehicle dynamics management.

Driving

One of our colleagues from Carsguide called both cars land yachts. We though it was a bit unfair but found them a bit noisy at times especially when trying to navigate the narrow city streets during rush hour and our ridiculously narrow parking lot here at work.

But give them a little more room and both ooze luxury and swallow potholes and ruts like the road is a densely packed plush pile. The 450h is slightly inferior to the 350 in terms of interior quality, but that's the way it should be. Everything is at arm's length, and if you can't bother looking for it, just play with the controls on the steering wheel and it will show up.

For such large ships, they are also quite weak - eight seconds is not bad for a boat with wheels. Although the hybrid does take a little nap - switches to electric - when it squirms at low speed and needs to be nudged to switch to the gas engine and start working properly.

Big SUVs do a great job of ducking into corners and accelerating out of them with half the car's clutch, and the new mounts keep you feeling good and safe. Power leather bucket seats have excellent lateral support for added support and comfort.

Both cars live up to what they should be – quality, luxury SUVs – without question. However, we couldn't help but wonder why Lexus and many other automakers couldn't put more effort into making these things look a little cooler on the outside. Given the craftsmanship and man-hours dedicated to their hybrid technology, it certainly isn't all that difficult to put together a shape that doesn't necessarily match pearls.