Mexican Media Brands
Lexus Unveils Stretched RX Crossover
Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus unit took the wraps off an extended version of its top-selling RX crossover vehicle on Wednesday at the Los Angeles auto show.
#Acura
Share
Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus unit took the wraps off an extended version of its top-selling RX crossover vehicle on Wednesday at the Los Angeles auto show.
Adding 4.3 inches to the rear of the body, the 2018 RX L can accommodate as many as seven occupants in three rows of seating. The wheelbase is unchanged, but a more vertical tailgate window boosts headroom for third-row occupants. Rear foot room is enhanced by positioning the second row slightly higher than the third.
The second row can slide up and forward to improve rear access. Other goodies include a three-zone climate control system, rear seat cupholders, power flat-folding seats and a power tailgate.
Lexus says the configuration provides third-row passengers the same comfort and luxury as those in the middle row. Optional captain’s chairs for the second row cut the crossover’s seating to six.
Power for the RX 350L will come from the same 290-hp 3.5-liter V-6 used in the two-row RX 350. A hybrid variant, the RX 450hL, teams the V-6 with two electric motors that ups output to 308 hp. All-wheel drive is optional.
Due to launch next month, the RX L will compete against the Acura MDX, Audi Q7 and Infiniti QX60. Pricing of the front-wheel-drive model starts at $48,700 in the U.S., while the all-wheel-drive version adds $1,400. Pricing for the hybrid RX L hasn’t been announced.
RELATED CONTENT
-
2015 NAIAS Seen (or Scene)
Patrick Wong, photographer and designer, braved the snow and single-digit temperatures that were outside of Detroit’s Cobo Center and found several vehicles of visual interest. . . . FORD GT This is a car that was rumored to be coming, yet which was kept undercover exceedingly well so that when it was revealed, the gasps in Joe Louis Arena caused a momentary lack of oxygen in the room: ACURA NSX Acura’s stand was directly across from Ford’s. And Acura revealed the production version of the NSX. Some argued that Acura should have challenged Ford to a race through the slippery streets of downtown Detroit. It would have probably won, because this hybrid as all-wheel-drive: ALFA ROMEO 4C SPIDER The question is whether this is a study in Italian sexiness or lightweight. This car features a body of SMC, a carbon-fiber monocoque, aluminum chassis and engine mounting components, and an all-aluminum, 237-hp turbocharged engine. And yes, you can remove the carbon-fiber roof: VOLKSWAGEN CROSS COUPE GTE American drivers are snapping up crossover vehicles of all size with vigor of late. And so Volkswagen has wisely decided that because it has that giant manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that’s making Passats that are sedans, not crossovers, it needs to do something. And that something is the Cross Coupe GTE, a seven-passenger crossover that will go into production near the end of 2016. Oh, and it is a hybrid.
-
Market, Tech, Positioning, Product and More
Once upon a time, automakers used to provide 10-day sales numbers. But as time has gone on, GM decided to go quarterly, then this year Ford followed suit, and now FCA has decided that with its April reporting, it, too, will go for the quarter not the month.
-
Driving, Ownership and Thought Experiments
The digital revolution will change everything. We should not only focus on redesigning the car, but also redesigning the “system.”