New Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance is a “Major step forward in dynamic quality”, says Lexus

The New Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance, part of the new Lexus RX range, has a performance edge, says Lexus.

In a world populated by big premium SUVs doing their damnedest to emulate a huge hot hatch with performance and dynamics trying to defy physics, the Lexus RX has always been a bit of an outlier (a bit like the Volvo XC90).

Rather than cutting-edge performance and handling, with big capacity engines burning obscene amounts of fuel when pushed hard, the Lexus RX prefers to cosset and comfort, with a hushed cabin, high-quality interior and pliable suspension.

That doesn’t make the RX a bad SUV – in fact, the last RX was very appealing – but it does mean buyers looking for high performance and tingling sensations needed to look elsewhere.

But with the arrival of the new Lexus RX in the summer, Lexus hasn’t just refined and improved the RX, they’ve also put a new sort of hybrid at the top of the range, and a new sort of hybrid offering a chunk of dynamism and performance, but without losing the essence of the RX.

The new Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance is that car and, ahead of it going properly on sale in the UK soon, Lexus wants you to know how they’ve made the RX 500h more appealing to drivers.

It comes with a new 2.4-litre hybrid powertrain with 366bhp and is good for 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, mated not to a CVT ‘box but a six-speed auto to better realise the performance of the new turbo engine and motors.

It is also the first Lexus to come with Lexus’s new DIRECT4 to shuffle torque around all four wheels for grip and stability, with Dynamic Rear Steering, bigger brakes and Adaptive Variable Suspension adding to the dynamism.

Cosmetic tweaks include 21″ split-spoke alloys, body colour wheel arch trims and sills, piano black details, aero profile bumpers, F Sport badging and mesh grille, with interior titivations including leather sports seats in the front with Ultrasuede bolsters and F Sport steering wheel, gear shift and scuff plates.

Lexus Chief Engineer Takaaki Ohno said:

Our goal with the RX 500h was to create a car that gives an exhilarating driving experience and generates a dialogue with the driver. To achieve this, we have further evolved the Lexus Driving Signature by thoroughly strengthening the vehicle fundamentals, as well as adopting Lexus’s new four-wheel drive force system, DIRECT4.

No prices yet for the new Lexus RX range – including the RX 500h F Sport Performance – but we’ll update as soon as we get them.