Lexus RX 450h F Sport: Geneva 2012 +video

Lexus RX 450h F Sport at Geneva 2012

As well as the facelift for the Lexus RX 450h, Geneva saw the first appearance of the new Lexus RX 450h F Sport.

We’ve already seen a fair bit about the facelift for the 2012 Lexus RX 450h in the run up to Geneva, and Lexus themselves teased the front of the new RX 450h F Sport version just before the show started. But both the facelift for the RX and the F Sport version have arrived at Geneva.

The facelift for the regular RX 450h is quite modest, but it does freshen up the RX with the new family look with the new grill, new headlights withy LED daytime running lights, reshaped bumpers, tweaked lights at the back, new alloys and a few tweaks within to give a more premium feel.

There’s nothing much to shout about with the regular RX 450h facelift, but the F Sport option works better than expected. The new F Sport styling package throws in the F Sport Honeycomb grill, a more butch bumper, a spoiler at the back and some new 19″ alloys. It doesn’t sound a lot, but it does make the RX look more purposeful; almost aggressive.

Inside the F Sport gets new perforated leather upholstery with contrast stitching, silver trim inserts and a black headliner. Under the skin the suspension gets a tweak to improve handling, there’s a new sport mode for the CVT ‘box and it appears there are just a couple of extra horses to unleash.

Frankly, it’s nothing massive but the F Sport RX 450h looks more than the sum of its extra bits in the flesh.

The facelift for the Lexus RX 450h, and the new RX 450h F Sport, go on sale in the UK in the summer. No prices yet, but it’s likely the RX 450h will be unchanged with a premium for the F Sport.

(17 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK