The current fourth generation of Lexus RX has been around...
for two years now, but I've flown all the way to Switzerland to drive it again.
Why, you ask? Lexus has converted into a seven seater,
the first seven seater in their history. So how did they do that?
They didn't just put some seats in the boot, but they enlarged the whole car.
And it has become bigger. It's now five whole metres long, that's eleven centimetres more...
than the regular RX, and it still has the same wheelbase.
That has 'optical disaster' written all over it, wouldn't you think?
It's quite the contrary really...
Now I've told you, you can see it actually is bigger.
If I hadn't told you however, you might've thought; 'that's a nice coupé-line.'
So what did they do, besides increasing the volume of the rear...
by increasing the height and windows, despite that, by using the curl in the C-pillar,
they've stretched the silhouette, which makes the coupé-line look more alive than on the RX.
That's why this car looks more like a coupé, than a regular RX.
Let's start to create some room... There's lots of legroom here,
because there's more room to play with of course, but it's still a five seater.
Let's move these seats forwards. You can move them by 15 cm,
and that's a lot actually. Let's put them forward...
Alright, let's move to the back. This isn't a new thing,
but it's incredibly handy because it doesn't have to go in the garage, you can fit it beneath the loading floor.
We've got rid of that, and there we go. It's a little bit American, but it's fun to watch anyway.
It's fully electric.
And the third row rises. If you want to get in,
you fold it there, push it forwards,
and you can get in.
Slide it back... And I'm in.
Of course, it's not royal, but it's meant for children and I'm 1,90 m.
You could call me a big child, and you'd be right.
But, if you're a kid, you won't be bored, because you've got lots of luxury back here.
It's in the third airconditioning zone, so they've got their own control.
Also, if you get the luxurious version, you get two USB-ports as well.
So you should be alright back here.
If you do end up back here, you could use this emergency solution if there's only two people there.
You can fold this small piece here, because it's designed 40-20-40,
with grants you a little less confined feeling and the seating is better as well.
Remarkably, the second seating row is a tad higher than in the regular RX.
That's to make sure the people on the third row...
would have more room for their feet. Supposedly, that would compromise the headroom,
and it does, but I've still got lots of room left.
So who cares. Also, a fun detail;
it's all about luxury, just look at this.
Let's see, foldable cupholders, heated seats in the back, a little compartment here,
a USB-port, and it goes on and on...
It's nice and all that everybody in the back is alright, but if you're in the front,
you want the seating to be good as well, and that isn't a problem in here.
The seating position is nice and high, the position of the steering wheel is good,
it's got a nice dashboard with beautiful materials, but it's a little mess if I'm honest.
There isn't much logic to be found in the styling, but if you eventually get to know it, there's nothing to worry about.
The multimedia screen is nice and wide, but unfortunately the layout and graphics are a little outdated.
Also, I'm not a fan of the satnav. It's messy and the directions are late.
They aren't very clear either, but besides that, it looks very nice.
You've got this combination of aluminium and wood as well, which comes from the piano-world.
Originally from Yamaha to be exact, but it looks very good and it feels a tad premium.
The middle console is nice and wide as well, again with that old control system.
I still don't like it, the movable button which makes finding the right function...
a pretty hard game, and you shouldn't want that. On the other hand, Lexus believes in it,
so we're stuck with it.
If you want a sharp steering car, this isn't for you, but it's not made for that either.
It's a very comfortable car. It can heave a little,
but not to an extent where it gets annoying. It's incredibly comfortable,
it's silky smooth, but incredibly relaxed to drive.
Then there's the drivetrain. Of course, it's a hybrid.
A V6 to be exact, and a powerful one as well.
It's fitted with two electric motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle.
If it's all working together, it's got a combined power of 313 horsepower,
and that's quite a lot of power. It absolutely isn't a slouch.
Under normal circumstances, you only get power on the front axle.
It runs on the electrical motor, or combined with the combustion engine.
If the circumstances ask for it, the rear will kick in as well.
That's standard on this car, so you'll always have four-wheel drive as standard.
Lexus markets the RX450hL in a pretty high class, because the simplest version comes with leather,
separate climate control, 20-inch wheels, a lot of safety features,
and that's what makes a big, luxurious car like this,
a true luxurious car, and that's what you want.