Baby RX gets turbo
- RX 200t uses 2.0-litre turbo petrol from NX range with 225bhp;
- UK gets full hybrid 3.0-litre petrol and electric engine with 300bhp;
- Promises car-like handling and Lexus Safety System+ comprehensive active
A BABY luxury SUV will be joining the Lexus range in the shape of its new RX 200t whose wraps came off at the Shanghai motor show.
The compact 4×4 also be available with the frugal four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine first seen in the mid-level NX range. This engine features VVT-iW intelligent/wide variable valve-timing, a low-inertia turbocharger and an air-to-liquid intercooler.
Target output in the RX is more than 225bhp and it will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The UK will get the full hybrid version will use an Atkinson cycle 3.5 V6
Depending on individual market demands, the new RX will also be available with a more powerful 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, coupled with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and producing more than 300bhp.
The UK will get the full hybrid version will use an Atkinson cycle 3.5 V6, together with an electric motor, giving a combined system output of around 300bhp.
The RX 200 has a chassis and suspension engineered to increase the degree of car-like handling. The model will also benefit from the new Lexus Safety System+ comprehensive active safety package.
Takayuki Katsuda, RX chief engineer, said: “A major point of appeal in the RX 200t is its ability to deliver seamless and continuous acceleration up to mid and high speeds.”
