2023 Lexus RX Sports New Platform, Powertrains, Performance Variant

Competes with: Acura MDX, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Infiniti QX60

Looks like: An even more carlike RX with a fresh take on the Lexus spindle grille

Powertrains: 275-horsepower, turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine and eight-speed automatic transmission (RX 350); 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motor making 246 system hp and continuously variable automatic transmission (RX 350h); turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine and electric motor making 367 system hp and six-speed automatic (RX 500h F Sport Performance); front- (RX 350) or all-wheel drive (RX 350, RX 350h, RX 500h); plug-in-hybrid powertrain details (RX 450h Plus) to be announced 

Hits dealerships: End of 2022

Since its debut more than two decades ago, the Lexus RX has been a mainstay in school pickup lines and has helped usher in the era of car-based premium SUVs. Now in its fifth generation, the new 2023 Lexus RX rides on a new platform and gets updated powertrains, along with additional comfort, convenience and safety technologies.

Related: All-Electric 2023 Lexus RZ: Overachieving on Space, But Not Range

Three of the RX’s four updated powertrains are electrified, though the automaker will announce details of the RX 450h Plus model’s plug-in-hybrid powertrain at a later date. Inside, the big news is the availability of a 14-inch touchscreen display and the apparent abandonment of the Remote Touch touchpad controller.

Exterior

Lexus expanded the new RX’s spindle grille to the entire vehicle in what the automaker calls a “spindle body” design, resulting in a more carlike silhouette. The wheelbase is 2.36 inches longer than the previous RX, but the rear overhang is shortened by 2.36 inches, leaving the new RX with the same length as its predecessor. Up front, the grille now has a body-color element at the top that widens into the inverted-V spindle. New wheels come in 19- and 21-inch sizes.

Interior

As already mentioned, the big news inside is that Lexus finally ditched the Remote Touch touchpad controller. In recent years, Lexus added touchscreen functionality to its models while leaving the redundant touchpad in place; it seems the automaker has finally seen the light, trading in the distracting user interface for something more intuitive. Lexus says the change results in a “functional [and] concise” control layout.

Lexus also says the new RX has more rear passenger legroom and increased cargo space, as well as a lower floor to make cargo loading easier.

New Platform, Updated Powertrains

The 2023 RX rides on a new GA-K platform that Lexus says improves the SUV’s center of gravity and weight distribution, adds stiffness, and increases ride comfort and quietness. It’s also lighter than the outgoing model, according to Lexus, with weight savings of up to 198 pounds. A redesigned rear suspension also aims to improve ride and handling.

Under the hood there are four updated powertrain choices, three of which feature some sort of electrification. The RX 350 gets a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine to replace the long-serving 3.5-liter V-6. Horsepower is reduced by 20 to 275, but torque increases by 50 pounds-feet to 317. Buyers can choose FWD or AWD, but the sole transmission is an eight-speed automatic.

The RX 350h is AWD only and has a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.5-liter gas engine, electric motor and battery pack producing 246 hp and 233 pounds-feet paired to a CVT.

While the RX hasn’t previously been the first choice for shoppers looking for a performance SUV, the new RX 500h F Sport Performance aims to change that. This hybrid powertrain uses a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, instead of the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter, and makes a healthy 367 hp and 406 pounds-feet of torque. It also uses Lexus’ Direct4 AWD system to optimize performance, taking a step beyond the previous F Sport appearance-heavy packages of the last RX.

A plug-in hybrid RX 450h Plus will also be available, but Lexus hasn’t yet announced specifications.

Safety

Lexus’ Safety System Plus 3.0 suite of advanced driver-assistance tech will be standard. Forward collision detection with automatic emergency braking now includes motorcycle detection, and adaptive cruise control adds curve-based speed management.

Other safety features include available driver monitoring and a head-up display. The Advanced Park parking assistance system is newly available on the RX and has improved capabilities, according to Lexus.

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Pricing and Release Date

Pricing should be available closer to the 2023 RX’s on-sale date sometime at the end of this year.

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