Although Lexus has definite plans to become an electric-only brand, we are still far from that horizon. Over the next few years, Toyota’s premium brand will continue to launch models with a hybrid base. The next scheduled launch is the Toyota RX, the great SUV of the house will see the arrival of a new generation on June 1. Its presentation will take place in Brussels, and we have already been able to see the first advances.
The RX is the largest SUV Lexus has for sale in Europe. Originally launched in 1997, due to its size it is perfectly located in the E segment. It currently offers two different bodies, one 4.89 meters long and the other 5 meters long, the so-called RX L version.. At the moment we do not know if Lexus is going to continue with this policy, but we imagine that it will be considering that the long body has only been on sale for a couple of years.
The truth is that the information regarding the new Lexus RX is rather scarce. The brand has limited itself to saying that the fourth generation of its large SUV will be new from head to toe.. That means that significant changes are expected at all levels, starting with the aesthetic. Thanks to the first official preview, we can see that the RX will have a very Lexus design. A nose of powerful proportions will present the characteristic light signature of the house, the same one that we could see recently in the presentation of the Lexus RZ.
Thanks to a new platform, the Lexus RX will explore new concepts of hybridization. With a mechanical offer still to be confirmed, It is almost taken for granted that the Lexus RX will have different versions, one of them with up to three electric motors. That higher-performance version will be associated with a plug-in hybrid technology with a gasoline engine that will say goodbye to the 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 of the current model.
Everything points to the main block will be replaced by a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine which will be able to match the performance of the V6. Next to it, different electrical units and different batteries will be installed to become the first Lexus PHEV. Of course, the size of the batteries is unknown, although expecting an electric range of more than 60 kilometers, we can expect an approximate capacity of 20 kWh.
Until next June 1 we will not know all the technical, aesthetic and technological details. Of course, the RX is expected to be the first to introduce cutting-edge technologies, including a revamped multimedia system with a large touchscreen. In the same plane, an increased quality is expected, something essential considering the consideration of the flagship of the SUV family.
