Lexus Reworks The Rx

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday December 3, 2008

By BRENT DAVISON

CALL it more evolution than revolution, because Lexus's next-generation RX sports utility model the first full rework of the car since its 2000 debut shows that if nothing else the Japanese luxury car maker likes to follow a proven design path.

Unveiled at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show and due to hit our shores in the first quarter of next year, the latest take on the "soccer-mum" favourite boasts a full redesign and restyle, with reworked engines and suspensions, along with claimed improvements in safety, performance, comfort and efficiency.

Buyers will be able to choose between the petrol-only RX 350 and the petrol-electric RX 450h hybrid. The 350 is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 developing about 205 kilowatts and the 450h gets a 3.5-litre engine and electric motor which, combined, produce 220 kilowatts.

Both cars are all-wheel-drives but use different drive systems, with the 350 running an active torque control system and the 450h a hybrid system, using electric motors to drive the rear wheels.

Harder to be a safety star

EUROPE'S New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) has been overhauled in an effort to make vehicle selection on safety grounds easier and also to make a full five-star rating more difficult to achieve.

The last crash testing for the year has been completed and new rules will apply from the start of next year's test program, in February.

Euro NCAP's new scheme brings in a five-star overall safety rating to replace the star ratings that have been used since 1997.

Under the new scoring system, vehicles will need to do well in each area of assessment to achieve a good overall result. In particular, it will be impossible for any car to achieve five stars without the standard fitment of electronic stability control (ESC) in the majority of cars in its model range.

Expect our ANCAP to follow suit in due course.

Top-scorers on the way

STILL with Euro NCAP, news is that a number of cars destined for an Australian launch in the new year have achieved a full five-star result in the final round of testing.

Those to score the big numbers were Ford's Fiesta light car, Peugeot's 208CC coupe-cabriolet, Volkswagen's sixth-generation Golf hatchback, Honda's Accord, Renault's Megane and Volvo's XC60 compact SUV.

Alfa Romeo's MiTo supermini and Vauxhall's new Insignia also scored maximum numbers.

A new testing regimen introduced to Euro NCAP, the rear impact/whiplash test, showed that a lot of car makers have a long way to go in building head restraint systems that reduce whiplash. Only five of the 25 cars tested passed.

Those to get a tick were Volvo XC60, Alfa Romeo MiTo, Volkswagen Golf VI, Audi A4 and Opel Insignia.

This will teach you

HONDA will introduce a new ecological drive system on its new Insight hybrid when the car debuts next year.

The three-part system has an economy mode to control powertrain fuel efficiency; a function that promotes fuel economy by varying the speedo display colour (blue is bad, green is good); and a scoring function to give feedback on driver techniques for each journey.

Should be a lot more interesting and probably as infuriating as the old econometers fitted to some Holdens back in the 1970s.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home