2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport Heat Blue

Lexus has undertaken a complete reinvention of the RX large luxury SUV, building on the model’s great heritage and breaking new design and technology boundaries to increase the breadth of its capabilities and its appeal to an even wider customer base. You can find more visual details of the 2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue gallery by scrolling up.

In 1998, the original RX model founded the market segment for luxury-focused SUVs. Since then, it has continuously evolved, notably becoming the first electrified model in the premium market with the launch of the RX 400h in 2005. Today, it is firmly established as a global core model for Lexus with 3.5 million sales – 300,000 of these in Europe. The all-new fifth generation model range will strengthen this position and Lexus’ reputation for design and technology excellence.

You can find more visual details of the 2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue gallery by scrolling up.

Koji Sato, President of Lexus International, said: “For the all-new RX we were determined to keep the Lexus DNA of supreme quality, ride comfort and refinement, and elevate the driving experience to the next level, delivering a unique Lexus Driving Signature.”

Together with the recently launched NX and the upcoming RZ all-electric model, the RX will help build the “Next Chapter” of the Lexus brand. These three models will give the company its most comprehensive coverage yet of the D/E premium SUV market, the heart of Lexus’ business.

Lexus has developed its new Next Chapter design language for the new RX, including a new ‘spindle body,‘ achieved by integrating the signature spindle grille concept into the entire front of the vehicle. The RX team also drew inspiration from the model’s rich design heritage to produce a car that is instantly recognisable as RX, but with a more dynamic, elegant and confident character.

Inside, the driver-centred ‘Tazuna’ cockpit focuses on giving the driver direct, intuitive control of the vehicle, following the principal of ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’. It also improves the driving experience, with its intuitive and clean layout, enhanced by the new Lexus Link Multimedia system with the “Hey Lexus“ onboard assistant, a 14-inch touchscreen and remote functions that can be accessed using the Lexus Link smartphone app.

To craft the new RX’s ‘Lexus Driving Signature’, Lexus optimised the SUV’s fundamentals such as the centre of gravity, inertia specifications, weight reduction, rigidity, and powertrain to create a more natural dialogue between car and driver. The improved handling and responsiveness are founded on a development of Lexus‘ GA-K platform that delivers excellent body rigidity and a low centre of gravity.

The new RX comes with a line-up of three different electrified powertrains in Europe. At the core of the brand’s offering in Western Europe, the RX 450h+ is the first RX to adopt Lexus‘ plug-in hybrid technology. The RX 350h hybrid electric is positioned as an efficient alternative to lower displacement diesel and petrol powertrains. And for customers seeking more exhilarating performance, Lexus is introducing its first performance-focused turbocharged hybrid, the RX 500h, which comes with DIRECT4 drive force control.

For Eastern markets, alongside the RX 500h performance hybrid, Lexus is also offering the RX 350 with a new 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, delivering higher performance than the current 3.5-litre model.

Leveraging Lexus’ world-class safety technology, the RX benefits from the third generation Lexus Safety System +, with an improved Pre-Collision System, new Proactive Driving Assist and optional Extended Safety Package. It is also available with Lexus’ Safe Exit Assist; linked to an electronic door release system, it prevents doors being opened into the path of vehicles or cyclists approaching from the rear.

Next Chapter Lexus design

The mission for the exterior design team was to give the new RX a unique identity with proportions born from its dynamic driving experience. This approach marks further development of the “Next Chapter” Lexus design, introduced with the new generation NX model, through which the styling directly communicates the car’s performance and the quality of the driving experience.

At the same time as the designers could look to the future, there was also a requirement to project the quality of Lexus as a global luxury brand and for the new model to be recognisably an RX, with details that reference its heritage.

These diverse qualities are witnessed in a car that projects a powerful road presence and performance potential, with a bold appearance and firmly planted stance. The sense of “newness” is immediate and strong, giving the car visual impact to match the quality of its three new electrified powertrains.

Next Chapter design has taken the spindle shape from the signature Lexus grille to create a new spindle body effect, integrating the shape into the entire front of the vehicle. The grille itself has been reinterpreted as a seamless unit that integrates with the body along its edges. The new slim headlight units and a front track that is wider by 15 mm add emphasis to the car’s lower centre of gravity and planted look.

In side-on view, a horizontal posture was created by raising the front of the bonnet and lowering the bottom edge of the rear window, compared to the current RX. This compresses the area above the wheels, creating a solid, well-grounded look.

While the new RX has the same overall length as the current model, the bonnet has been elongated, with the A-pillar moved further back, and the wheelbase has been extended by 60 mm. Sculpted surfaces on the door panels, flared rear wings and 21-inch wheels add a sense of powerful traction and dynamism.

The RX’s characteristic “floating roof” effect created by a blacked-out rear-pillar is retained but given a stronger three-dimensional appearance. The rear of the car communicates a sense of power with a shorter overhang, wider track (+45 mm) and a sweeping transition from the wings round to the tail lights. The rear combination lights are set in a light bar that spans the width of the car and wraps around the corners to heighten the wider look.

Nine exterior colours are available, including a new Sonic Copper – one of several options using Lexus’ advanced sonic paint technology for a more lustrous finish with deep contrasts. The wheel choices include new 21-inch alloys – larger rims than previously for the RX, adding to the model’s dynamic look and powerful stance.

You can find more visual details of the 2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue gallery by scrolling up.

2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue Front View 3/4

Lighting

Slim, three-projector LED headlights are featured on the new RX mid-grade and, with a BladeScan Adaptive High-beam System (AHS) on the Luxury grade and F SPORT Performance model; other versions use bi-Beam LED design. These sit above daytime running lights with surface illumination that have a stronger three-dimensional look and silhouette; those on higher grade models have elegant “fade-in” illumination. Quality is further expressed in turn indicators with light guides, giving a seamless lighting effect.

The front fog lights and cornering lights are discreet units, incorporated in bezels set low in the front bumper

At the rear, the combination lights are set in an L-shaped light bar with a single lens that spans the full width of the vehicle and wraps around the corners, emphasising the powerful design and underlining the new LEXUS logo.

Aerodynamics

The visual appeal of the exterior design is matched by its aerodynamic efficiency. Effective details include the precise calculation of the rear spoiler shape and position,  a belt moulding that is flush with the bodywork and the addition of a fin on the bottom edge of the rear bumper which suppresses air flow turbulence behind the rear wheels.

Beneath the car there is an engine undercover with a dimpled surface that creates air vortices as the car moves, enhancing the feeling of it being in firm contact with the road. Across the range, each model has a larger area of flat undercover and flat-surfaced heat insulators, creating a flat floor for smoother air flow.

F SPORT design features

The RX 350 is also available in F SPORT grade, while the RX 500h is introduced exclusively as an F SPORT Performance model, with additional performance engineering features (details in the powertrain and dynamic performance sections below).

In design terms, the F SPORT models are distinguished by exclusive styling touches inside and out. The exterior details include dedicated 10-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels with a matt black finish, black roof rails and door mirrors, a seamless grille with a specific piano black mesh pattern, F SPORT front and rear bumpers, black F SPORT badging on the front wing and additional black stainless steel mouldings on the doors and bumpers. Six exterior colours are available for the F SPORT Performance, including the new Sonic Copper.

As well as style additions there are also extra aero features: the lower edge of the front bumper is shaped to generate higher downforce and additional wheel arch mouldings serve to release the pressure inside the bumper and to regulate air flow around the front wheels.

Inside, the F SPORT features include the steering wheel and shift lever with perforated leather trim, the meter display, aluminium sports pedals and trim details, F SPORT-branded scuff plates and sports front seats upholstered in Black or Dark Rose leather with Ultrasuede bolsters. Trim inserts are in a new Dark Spin aluminium with a horizontal line pattern that gives the surface shading and texture.

Interior design

The RX’s interior expresses luxury through simplicity. This “less is more” approach dispenses with superfluous details in favour of a cool, contemporary look with clean, uncluttered surfaces. The effect of this Lexus design evolution is an immediate sense of space, well-being, refinement and comfort.

The cabin retains elements that display Lexus’ Takumi hand-crafted luxury and appeal to all the senses. Even the opening and closing feel and sound of the doors came under close scrutiny.

The new design simplicity can be seen in the way the dashboard sweeps in a clean, continuous form, taking in the meter hood, instrument panel and the door trims.  Equipping the car with the new e-latch electronic door release system has allowed the interior handles to be moved lower down and the upper section of the door panels to be carved out, creating a natural extension of the instrument panel.

The RX is available with a new, larger panoramic roof with an opening front section. To give the best possible view from the rear seats, the centre frame has the thinnest possible cross-section without compromising collision safety.

Tazuna driver’s cockpit

The theme of simplicity complements Lexus’ Tazuna concept for the driver’s cockpit, which rationalises the location and ease of use of the controls and information sources, so that attention is focused on the job of driving.

The design allows the driver to have a deeper, more intuitive connection with the car, making it easier for them to control it as they intend. The Tazuna approach can be seen in details such as the new multimedia system: the large, 14-inch touchscreen and the provision of physical buttons for frequently used functions help minimise driver head movement. The modular design and positioning of the principal information sources – the meters, centre console display and optional head-up display – mean only smooth, small changes in the driver’s line of sight are required to view them.

You can find more visual details of the 2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue gallery by scrolling up.

2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue Interior Details

SUV packaging

The interior packaging is that of a true SUV, delivering the necessary practicality, convenience and flexibility. Basic advantages are drawn from the GA-K platform, including the lower centre of gravity (-15 mm), increased wheelbase (2,850 mm – +60 mm) and wider tracks (front +15 mm, rear +50 mm), achieved within an overall length that is the same as the current RX (4,890 mm).

The driver’s field of view is increased to provide top-class visibility for safer and more comfortable driving. This is helped by a new ergonomic design for the area around the front pillars to give a better sight-line when cornering. Accurate line-tracing is also helped by raising the front edge of the bonnet, so that it is easier to judge the vehicle corners, and optimising the height of the central bonnet bulge. Similarly, thinner rear quarter pillars give a better rearward view for the driver, for example when merging onto a highway.

The design provides more knee room for rear seat passengers and a better view both to the side and ahead, helped by the car’s lower belt line and the wider forward field of vision. Access has been made easier with a lower hip-point and adjustment of the easy access power adjustment.

The rear load compartment matches the current RX for capacity, despite the new model having a shorter rear overhang. This is thanks to clever design solutions, including a thinner back door and a lower loading height. The VDA volume is 612 litres with the rear seats in place, above the deckboard. This gives enough space to carry four 9.5-inch golf bags or two 77-litre and two 63-litre suitcases. There is extra space beneath the deck for tools and smaller items and roof rails are available so that accessories such as roof boxes and cycle carriers can be fitted. The roof bars are compatible for use with the optional panoramic roof.

Upholsteries and trims

The new RX is Lexus’ first model to be offered with a leather-like upholstery that uses no animal products, featured on the seats, steering wheel and shift lever in the Comfort grade models.

Smooth leather colour options for Executive grade include new Dark Sepia, Ammonite Sand and Hazel, with black inlays. These are also available for the semi-aniline leather on Luxury grade models with Ash Sumi Black and new Dark Bamboo option wood grain trim detailing.

The door panels and seat shoulders have a new embossed L-motif pattern that creates a shadow effect, inspired by the traditional Japanese Kageri  (dark shadow) aesthetic.

DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE AND THE LEXUS DRIVING SIGNATURE

An essential element in the Lexus “Next Chapter” is the enabling of a natural connection between driver and car, a “dialogue” in which the vehicle responds exactly as the driver intends and where the driver always feels confident, comfortable and in control. This is the Lexus Driving Signature, a dynamic performance hallmark of all new Lexus models which the RX achieves through the strengthening of its fundamental qualities and refinement of its drive control.

The adoption of Lexus’ Global Architecture GA-K platform is the foundation for achieving lower centre of gravity, improved inertia specifications, weight reduction (by up to 90 kg compared to the current model) and increased body rigidity – elements that play a central role in taking the model’s dynamic performance to a higher level.

Body rigidity

The inherent rigidity of the GA-K platform translates directly into ride quality, reassuring responsiveness, faithful, agile handling and comfort.

Although this platform also underpins the new Lexus NX, it has been significantly redesigned for use in the RX. The changes have allowed for an increase in the wheelbase and the installation of an additional cross-member and additional suspension braces. This strengthens the body rigidity and allows for more accurate suspension tuning.

Measures to secure a greater torsional stiffness also include a seamless ring frame at the rear. Structural joints have been strengthened with more extensive use of adhesives (an extra 2.6 m compared to the current RX), laser screw welding and new short pitch welding. In total the welding length has been increased by 7.4 m. Using high-rigidity foam around the back door aperture provides lightweight but effective reinforcement.

Following the innovation introduced on the all-new NX, the RX adopts a twin-latch mechanism for the bonnet. This allows the bonnet to contribute to the overall rigidity of the car’s front end, while also giving quieter performance with less vibration when travelling at speed.

Weight-saving measures

Lexus has introduced new materials into the car’s construction to reduce vehicle weight without compromising the integrity of the structure or performance.

Notably, the thickness of the side members and the door assemblies has been reduced and high tensile strength and hot-stamped steels have been adopted for certain components, including the centre pillar.

Further weight savings have been achieved by changing the front wings from steel to aluminium – a measure that has helped improve the car’s front/rear weight distribution. No detail is too small: the covers for the fuel filler and the RX 450h+ charging port have been switched from steel to resin.

Noise and vibration countermeasures

Producing a cabin that’s comfortable and quiet at all times was a priority development goal for the new RX. Particular targets were to achieve a pleasant door closing sound, with no unwanted noise; a reduction in booming when the drivetrain is idling; and less transmission of road noise, particularly when there is a change in surface.

To produce the ideal door closing sound, unwanted high frequency noise has been eliminated through detailed design changes and the use of high-damping material. Booming has been controlled by measures to suppress vibration of the windscreen and back door, while the use of high-damping mastic on the roof and side door panels has reduced the level of road noise experience inside the vehicle.

You can find more visual details of the 2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue gallery by scrolling up.

2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue Side View

Further use of noise-proofing material to absorb and insulate sound has contributed to a quieter interior where conversation can be enjoyed with clarity during cruising. Elsewhere, steps have been taken to reduce wind noise generated around the front pillars and door mirrors.

Suspension

The aim of the suspension design was to support delivery of good steering feel, stability and a ground-hugging, flat vehicle posture that isn’t affected by external disturbances.

The new MacPherson system at the front is optimised for ride comfort and linear response to the driver’s steering inputs, with better absorption of shock and vibration from uneven road surfaces. This entailed a comprehensive refinement of all the key components, including the layout and performance characteristics of the arms, bushes and shock absorbers.

At the rear there is a new multi-link set-up that is engineered for better lateral stability and handling higher levels of torque. A focus on improved component rigidity has contributed to better steering response and giving the driver a sense of the rear of the car having a secure, planted feel at all times.

Adaptive Variable Suspension

The Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), featured as standard on Luxury and F SPORT/F SPORT Performance grades, provides independent damping control at each wheel, giving a more comfortable ride on uneven surfaces, higher damping force when turning and flat ride stability.

Compared to the system on the current RX, the damping force range has been increased, so AVS is effective on an even wider range of surface quality and in different driving operations. Finer adjustment of the damping force gives smoother response the changes in road quality and response is quick, giving better control and reducing body roll.

The driver can choose between two damping force control modes. ‘Normal’ gives a high balance between steering response and ride comfort while ‘Sport’ prioritises steering response and a flat ride, with more frequent use of hard/high damping force.

Braking system

The new RX hybrid electric models adopt a new AHB-G electronically controlled brake system, a pressure-on-demand system that uses a high-performance pump motor, giving a natural braking feel, controllability and responsiveness. Front-rear brake force distribution is controlled by independent pressure regulation, helping the vehicle maintain a stable posture under braking. The system’s refinement is also reflected in a new damping mechanism for the brake pedal, giving smooth operation and controllability.

The F SPORT model is equipped with larger, 400 mm diameter ventilated front discs and new opposed six-piston aluminium monoblock callipers. The new callipers – painted black and bearing the Lexus logo – are highly rigid. They provide a greater brake pad surface area and uniform pressure. The driver will notice the benefits in linear, direct and stable braking and fade-resistant performance.

The RX 350 gasoline models are fitted with a vacuum brake system with optimised booster and master cylinder characteristics to give superior braking force, control and response.

Vehicle Braking Posture Control

Vehicle Braking Posture Control is a Lexus world-first, providing reassuring performance that communicates a linear braking feel to the driver and a sense of all four wheels being in secure contact with the road.

Provided on the RX 450h+ and RX 350h, this varies the front/rear brake force distribution, according to the driver’s pressure on the brake pedal and the vertical suspension movements. This reduces pitching to maintain a stable vehicle posture.

On the RX 500h, the DIRECT4 drive force control system is used to control vehicle posture as well.

Dynamic Rear Steering

The RX 500h F SPORT Performance uses a Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS) system which automatically calculates the optimum steering angle for the rear wheels, in line with vehicle speed and direction.

The maximum rear wheel turning angle has been increased to four degrees. This improves low-speed manoeuvrability and helps maintain stability at high speeds.

At low and mid-speeds, the rear wheels turn counter to the front wheels while at high speeds they turn in phase with the front axle. The DRS angle is also optimally controlled as part of the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) operation.

Trail Mode

Trail Mode is provided on the Lexus RX for the first time, integrating control of the all-wheel drive system, braking and drive force to prevent wheel-slip when driving on slippery or uneven roads. This allows maximum drive force to be used, even when driving on rough road surfaces.

You can find more visual details of the 2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue gallery by scrolling up.

2023 Lexus RX 350 F Sport – Heat Blue Rear View 3/4

The all-new RX provides more comprehensive segment coverage in terms of powertrain choice than any previous generation. Lexus has brought to bear more than 15 years’ experience in electrified powertrain technology to embrace the evolution of the sector and provide a choice that includes the first plug-in hybrid electric RX, an accessible and efficient full hybrid electric model and, for the first time, a completely new performance hybrid, aimed at customers seeking a higher level of dynamic performance.

Alongside the new, all-electric RZ 450e battery electric model, this expansion of the RX line-up gives more customers the chance to choose their ideal electrified option.

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