Lexus RX 450h review

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Lexus RX 450h SE-L Road Test

Test date 28 August 2009 Price as tested £54,105

For Refinement, seamless powertrain, comfortable seats

Against Low-speed ride, steering, not as economical as should be

Lexus continues to believe that hybrid technology is superior to diesel power for its cars. This is the third generation of its RX sports utility vehicle and the second to be offered with a hybrid powertrain. In fact, the hybrid version is now the only RX offered in the UK, in a market dominated by large diesel engines.

Lexus’s persistence with the petrol/electric technology is driven by fewer particulate emissions and a smoother powertrain compared with diesel rivals. But if the headline figures for the new RX450h are anything to go by, class-leading CO2 emissions are on the cards too.

This new RX450h has recorded 44.8mpg on the official European combined cycle, which makes its taxable carbon dioxide emissions figure just 148g/km.

That’s not only 95g/km less than the latest Range Rover Sport TDV6, but also 2g/km less than a 75bhp, 1.4-litre Peugeot 207.

That means it is liable for a tax disc that costs just £105 and a benefit-in-kind rate of a mere 14 per cent. If these remarkable figures are borne out in real-world driving, the RX could be a landmark.