Lexus to go hybrid-only for its RX in Singapore
Pure petrol power is out as the luxury Japanese brand aims for a fully electrified range here
LEXUS has redesigned its RX from the ground up with 4 new engine options – but only the hybrid versions of the large Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) are headed for Singapore.
The entry-level model for this market will be the RX 350h. Its drivetrain is similar to the one that powers the Toyota RAV4 hybrid, which is a 2.5-litre petrol-electric setup.
Also on the way is the RX 450h+, a plug-in hybrid vehicle that is effectively a short-range electric car with a petrol engine as a backup for long distances.
Lexus already sells a plug-in here in the form of the NX 450h+, a smaller SUV with a similar drivetrain. It can cover more than 50 km on pure electric power in Singapore’s traffic conditions, enough for a day’s typical motoring. The plug-in RX should offer the same proposition with more size: a quiet electric car for the daily commute, but the ability to do golf trips across the border without worrying about charging.
Lexus is rounding off the range with a new high-performance variant. The new RX 500h pairs a 2.4-litre turbocharged engine with electric motors, the first time Lexus is powering a car with such a combination. The brand says the RX 500h’s model number reflects the fact that it offers as much oomph as a car with a 5,000 cc engine.
The notable omission for Singapore will be the RX 350, a non-hybrid. A spokesperson for Borneo Motors, the brand’s authorised dealer, told The Business Times that the company wants a fully electrified line-up for Lexus in Singapore by 2025.
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Lexus itself is transitioning away from combustion power, and aims to be an electric-only carmaker by 2035, with some markets going battery-only by 2030. The spokesperson told BT he was “confident” that Singapore will be one of the countries that makes the 2030 target.
Lexus apparently has no plans for a pure-electric version of the new RX. Instead, it is working on an electric vehicle (EV) similar in size, the RZ.
The new RX’s styling reflects its maker’s ongoing shift to electric propulsion. Electric cars have little need for traditional air intakes, so the RX has an unusual front grille that blends a conventional design at the bottom with a solid upper portion. The Lexus emblem sits at the symbolic zone where the combustion-friendly grille meets the more EV-like area.
Borneo says it has no pricing information yet, but BT estimates the RX 350h could kick things off at around S$350,000, at today’s Certificate Of Entitlement prices. The company plans to launch the RX at the Singapore Motorshow in January 2023, though judging from past practice, it will likely give VIP customers the chance to see the car up close behind closed doors before the year is over. A hybrid launch for a hybrid-only car seems only fitting.
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