Model Lexus RX 500h F-Sport Performance
Engine 2393cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo, mild hybrid
Max power 273kW @6000rpm
Max torque 551Nm @2000-3000rpm
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Weight 2155kg
0-100km/h 5.9sec (claimed)
Economy 8.2L/100km (estimated)
Price $110,000 (estimated)
On sale Q1 2023
UNTIL 1998, the only time the word ‘premium’ was used in the same sentence as ‘Japanese’ and ‘SUV’, was to describe a distinct absence of anything fitting that bill. In fact, aside from the venerable Range Rover, there wasn’t really any vehicle in the mid-’90s that could offered a high-riding seating position while treating its occupants to a little luxury. That was until the Mercedes-Benz ML and the Lexus RX 300 arrived in 1997, creating a rift in the high-rider landscape that other brands simply couldn’t ignore.
Today, virtually every crossover that offers a reasonable blend of on and off-road ability wrapped up in a premium shell owes a little of its existence to these two vehicles, with the RX being the unsung hero of the pair. In the ensuing years, however, perhaps a little too much of the Toyota family resemblance started to wear through its gilding, prompting
