Lexus RX450h Ultra-smooth premium SUV better than ever in Takumi form

LEXUS RX450h TAKUMI

The RX is one of the most luxury-led SUVs there has ever been. In Takumi form, Lexus describes it as ‘the pinnacle of luxury’ – and at £63,315 it has come to look like a high-value option too as ‘the pinnacle of luxury’ – and at £63,315 it has come to look like a high-value option too

WHEN A CAR MAKER DESCRIBES one of its vehicles as the ‘pinnacle of luxury’, it’s easy to sneer a bit. But when it’s Lexus, you take it seriously.

The Takumi model sits at the top of the RX range. And it certainly IS luxurious – though there’s no such thing as an RX that isn’t.

Needless to say, the equipment list has everything on it that you’d expect. But what the RX demonstrates is that luxury doesn’t just come from a load of spec. It’s never convincing if it’s not based on a strong foundation, and this is where Lexus scores. The quality of the vehicle itself is top-notch – it would still be a good SUV with fabric seats and none of the toys, which is why it’s a brilliant one with them.

It’s such a cliché to say a vehicle feels like it’s carved from a solid block, and of course it’s a cliché that comes out a lot when people are talking about Lexus. It’s worth repeating, though, if only just to highlight how well the RX really is made. The feeling of solidity, even perfection, is all around, and the quality of the materials in which the cabin is trimmed adds a layer of class on top of that.

So often, we fi nd ourselves sitting in leather seats and thinking a good quality fabric would be better. But that’s certainly not the case here. The hide used in the Takumi is soft, supple and exceptionally comfortable, while the seats themselves are three-way heated and cooled, with four-way lumbar adjust for driver and passenger alike. They feel as good as they look, and they look superb. one of its vehicles as the ‘pinnacle of Elbow and leg room are excellent, and headroom is fi ne – not amazing, thanks to the panoramic roof that’s a no-cost option (the Takumi is in fact listed as two separate models, with and without the sunroof and both at the same price), but you’d have to be extraordinarily tall for it to be a problem. It’s not quite as palatial in the back. The seats are heated again, and very comfortable, and legroom is excellent, but headroom is only just enough for a six-footer. The C-post sweeps forward at a fast angle, too, putting it right next to your head, so you’re looking forward and out rather than having a vista next to you. Nonetheless, the RX can carry four tall adults with none having to feel cramped. This is a vehicle which, through many models, has been a bit of a practicality sleeper, and so it proves again with the current one. The boot

You expect immense build quality and effortless luxury from Lexus, and that’s exactly what the RX delivers. Its cabin has an elegantly designed image to it that’s individualistic without being over the top, and the materials and fi ttings alike are top-notch

Elbow and leg room are excellent, and headroom is fi ne – not amazing,

Load-lugging practicality isn’t what you think of fi rst when you consider the RX, but down the years each new model has been something of a sleeper in this respect. Oddment stowage is well above average, with a range of simple but clever touches such as fold-out door pockets, and the boot is enormous. The seats don’t lie as fl at as we’d like when folded, but the cargo area that’s revealed when they drop down is enormous

is immense with the seats up, and still more so when they drop down. The seats fold electrically, though they stop some way from fl at and won’t be pushed down any further, so there’s a slope in the fl oor – not ideal for Ikea runs, though if you’re spending this sort of money on an SUV it’s possible that that won’t matter…

Nonetheless, in terms of sheer volume it’s excellent. And the use of space for oddment stowage mirrors this, with some very smooth touches up front. In addition to a good, big cubby and glovebox, the door pockets fold out to swallow large items and the map pockets on the seat-backs are elasticated – small touches, but ones which make a good thing better still.

The RX’s ergonomics are as well thought-out as you’d expect, with controls that feel as good as they look and an infotainment system whose display looks striking and works well. We’ve been critical in the past of the fi nger pad used to control the media system, as it’s so sensitive that moving the cursor around the screen and clicking to select options from the menu takes all your concentration; it seems to be better now, and the haptics built in to it go some way to helping you control what you’re asking it to do, but it’s still tricky to operate. Obviously, a system like this should be easy, indeed intuitive, and it’s still some way short of that.

Nonetheless, the RX is a very pleasing vehicle to drive. It’s incredibly easy around town, with a beautifully natural weight to its steering, then on the motorway it’s smooth and very quiet indeed. The engine note is never more than a background snarl, and at cruising speeds it disappears altogether, leaving a little road rumble but no wind noise at all to disturb you. Add in the fact that you’ll be driving on electric power only for much of the time around town, and you’ve got one very refi ned SUV indeed.

On the A and B-roads that come in between, it rides well and handles far better than you might expect. It grips very well, of course, allowing you to

corner it hard, but on top of that it’s really positive and even engaging for a spirited drive. Body control is excellent, even when you’re ragging it, and its big alloys and low-profi le tyres don’t upset the fl ow or pile any crudeness into the cabin. For a luxury SUV, it’s really quite sporty and certainly quick. But it’s also very luxurious, most importantly of all, and it looks the part. Lexus’ colour options include a cream leather interior, which we think would look pretty sensational – and what makes it more surprising than ever is that with the way the market has gone, it’s now looking like very good value for money at £63,315 on the road. That’s still a good bit of cash, of course. But it’s low to mid-range Defender money and nowhere near what you can spend on a Range Rover Sport, so by no means is it stratospheric. The RX is a different kettle of fi sh to either of those vehicles, for sure. In fact, in the SUV market it has always been a model that wanders its own line. It’s a posh family wagon with no more than a touch of 4x4 ability, and in Takumi form it’s posher than ever. But if that’s all you’ll ever need from it, what it offers in a wide range of other areas makes it a choice you’ll keep on being happy you made better than you might expect. It grips very well, of course, allowing you to for years to come. for years to come.