Lexus RX (2009) revealed in brochure blunder

By Chris Clarke

First Official Pictures

30 October 2008 15:34

Lexus has let slip pictures of its new RX after a Japanese brochure was seemingly leaked ahead of the car’s launch. We weren’t supposed to see the 4x4 until the November 2008 LA auto show, but we’ve tracked down the photos of the new Lexus RX early.

They certainly look it and insiders at Lexus GB suggest they are genuine. If so, the new RX is hardly a radical departure from the current model. As is the trend for 4x4s, the new RX appears to be longer and wider, possibly to accommodate a third row of seats. 

Also expect a development of Lexus’s advanced front lighting system, the pictures revealing multiple ‘pockets’, or light clusters, within the headlamps. 

The new RX’s interior is notably different, with a cockpit showing strong sweeping lines and big information displays.

The brochure pictures show two models: the RX350, a V6 petrol and the RX450h – the 'h' denoting this is the petrol-electric hybrid car.  Expect the new model to hit UK showrooms in summer of 2009 and this time the Brit importer will axe all petrol versions. It’s hybrid only for the UK.

The 450h will feature Toyota’s latest generation petrol-electric tech, so expect improvements in CO2 figures, making it greener than the current model's 192 g/km. 

Lexus’s timing couldn’t be better. Demand for, and second-hand values of, big petrol SUVs is collapsing.

By Chris Clarke