What’s New: 2024 Lexus RX 350 Hybrid and More
The Lexus RX has been a best-seller and a staple for the Lexus brand almost since its debut in 1999. It was the first-ever luxury crossover before the term “crossover” even existed. It is now not only Lexus’s best-seller, both here at Lexus of Las Vegas and the rest of the country but also the best-selling luxury-branded model in the U.S. The RX is now in its fifth generation, having just been redesigned in 2023. That means changes are few for 2024 but significant. The biggest change is the addition of the RX 450h+ Plug-in Hybrid to the lineup. Other changes include the addition of an Advanced Park system with Remote Park capability and some color additions.
The Lexus RX 350 is a Powertrain for Everyone
Whether your taste is for a straightforward gas engine, the efficiency of a hybrid, the electric driving ability of a plug-in hybrid, or high-performance, the RX line has you covered.
The RX 350 has the most conventional drivetrain with a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 producing 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to an 8-speed sequential shift automatic. It comes standard with front-wheel drive (FWD) and is the only FWD drivetrain in the RX lineup. All-wheel drive (AWD) is available on all RX 350 grades. EPA mpg estimates for city/highway/combined for FWD models are 22/29/25. AWD subtracts 1 mpg from each figure.
The RX 350h combines a 2.5-liter inline-4 Atkinson-cycle engine up front with an electric motor at the rear for AWD and a combined total system horsepower of 246 horsepower and 233 lb-ft. of torque, much of which comes instantaneously from the rear motor. Channeling power through an Electronically-controlled Continuously Variable
Transmission (ECVT), EPA mpg estimates for city/highway/combined are improved all around but particularly for city driving at 37/34/36.
The RX450h+ retains the same AWD hybrid powertrain as the RX350h but adds a battery large enough to enable an approximate 35 miles of electric-only driving range. If your daily commute or daily routine is under that distance, the RX 450h+ can essentially be an electric car for most of its driving, and yet longer trips can be taken without charging concerns. The RX 450h+ can be fully charged overnight using a conventional household plug. The system has a manufacturer-estimated combined 83 MPGe rating. The EPA doesn’t give city/highway mpg figures for plug-in hybrids, but post-EV-range figures can be expected to be close to the RX 350h.
The RX 500h F SPORT Performance AWD is true to its name by combining the 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 with a rear-mounted 80 kW motor for a total system output of 366 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The power is controlled through a 6-speed sequential-shift automatic Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and paddle shifters. It will accelerate from a standing start to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds while delivering EPA estimated mpg of 27 / 28 / 27.
Advanced Park with Remote Park
This newly available driver’s aid system can significantly assist the driver when backing into or exiting a perpendicular or parallel parking space. Four Parallel View Monitor (PVM) cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors provide visual data to enable the RX to automatically control steering, accelerator, brake, and shift operations. Remote Park can even perform the procedures with you outside the vehicle through smartphone operation via the Lexus app with the Lexus key fob on your person.
Color it Cloudburst or Copper
Finally, Cloudburst Gray is a new exterior color for all RX grades, while the bold Copper Crest color is now available on Premium and F SPORT Handling grades.
With the addition of the RX 450h+, the best-selling RX lineup has one of the most comprehensive sets of drivetrain choices in the industry. Lexus says the 2024 models will be available by the end of 2023, so figure on seeing the new models in the Lexus of Las Vegas inventory around the Thanksgiving to Christmas holidays.