Lexus RX
The Lexus RX is a luxury crossover SUV sold since 1998 by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Originally released in its home market of Japan in late 1997 as the Toyota Harrier, export sales began in March 1998 as the Lexus RX.
Considered as the first luxury crossover SUV by many sources, five generations of the RX have been produced to date, the first being compact in size, and the latter classified as mid-size. Both front- and four-wheel drive configurations have been used on the RX series, and several gasoline powertrain options, including V6 engines and hybrid systems, have been offered. In the Lexus model lineup, the RX sits below the larger Lexus LX, and below the body-on-frame, but also mid-size GX SUV. The name "RX" stands for "Radiant Crossover". It has also been labelled as "Recreational Cross Country" in some markets. The RX's current Toyota counterpart is the Highlander/Kluger; past counterparts included the Harrier and Venza.
The first-generation RX 300, fitted with a 3.0-liter V6 engine, began sales in 1998. The Japanese market Harrier released in 1997 also offered a 2.2-liter inline-four, later uprated to 2.4 liters. The second-generation RX 300 and RX 330 models went on sale in 2003, with both variants supplanted by the more powerful RX 350 in 2006. Like the previous series, a 2.4-liter inline-four engine was sold alongside the 3.0-liter V6 in the Japanese market Harrier. In 2005, a hybridized gasoline-electric version of the 3.3-liter second-generation model was made available as the RX 400h in export markets and as the Harrier Hybrid in Japan. For the third generation released in 2009, both RX 350 and RX 450h models were initially offered, with an entry-level RX 270 offered by Lexus in some Asian markets, including in Japan, since 2010. Since the release of the third generation, Japanese sales have occurred under the RX name as opposed to Harrier as had been the case previously. In the fourth generation, a turbocharged RX 200t/300 model was introduced to replace the previous 2.7-liter unit.
The RX has been assembled at Toyota Motor Kyushu since launch. The RX and RX Hybrid were the first Lexus models to be built outside Japan, with North American market versions produced at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada plant in Cambridge, Ontario beginning 2003 and expanded in 2014. Hybrid transaxles are built at the Kokura plant in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka since 2009.
First generation (XU10; 1998)
1998–2000
The idea concept behind the RX—a crossover between a luxury sedan and SUV—started in 1993 when it was hypothesized by TMS and Toyota Motor executives during a luncheon in Nagoya. By 1994, that vehicle was officially proposed by TMS executives at product planning meeting in Toyota City, Japan and put into development. In December 1995, the final design directed under designer Makoto Oshima was approved for production, and prototypes later went into testing in 1996. In Japan, the company was selling the Toyota Caldina which offered AWD capability and a spacious interior.Prior to the RX public debut, a concept sport utility vehicle, the SLV, previewed the model at the Chicago Auto Show on 9 February 1997. The SLV name stood for Sport Luxury Vehicle. The production-ready concept combined the characteristics of an SUV, wagon, and sedan, and featured high-ground clearance and an elevated seating position. The concept's overall design intent was to be commonly used for suburban driving. At the debut of the concept vehicle, it was reported that the crossover was to be based on the ES 300 sedan, and would go into production with an entry-level price of over US$30,000.
The RX was built on a unibody chassis. Its exterior design was not typical of existing four-door vehicles at its introduction. Among design features, the vehicle featured front triangular quarter-windows, door-mounted side mirrors, a rear liftgate with top-mounted spoiler, and translucent front and rear light covers with round lenses. The exterior color scheme was two-tone, with the bumper and lower body-side cladding a grey color. The RX 300 possessed a. The first-generation Lexus RX was built in Kyushu, Japan.
The V6-powered model was available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive form, which comprised all RX 300 sales in export markets from March 1998 to 2003, and Harrier V6 sales in Japan from 1997 to 2003. The 3.0 L 1MZ-FE V6 was rated at and. The transmission, a 4-speed automatic unit, offered a "Snow" mode which started the vehicle in second gear for better traction in adverse weather conditions. For the RX 300, a 240-watt, 7-speaker Pioneer sound system was standard, while a premium Nakamichi customized sound system was available as an option. Interior features further included Walnut wood trim and an optional in-dash six-CD changer. The overall RX 300 concept, which directed SUV qualities to an on-road vehicle, was based on market research which found that merely 7 percent of SUV owners drove off-road. The RX 300 interior featured leather trim, two rows of seating, and a rear cargo area which could be concealed beneath a tonneau cover. The center dashboard was dominated by a central liquid crystal display multi-information screen for audio, climate, and performance data, along with a U-shaped wood trim piece and a pair of air conditioning vents. The gear shift was mounted at the base of the center console, thus leaving open space below for additional storage space, legroom, or movement to the passenger-side seat. The rear seats could be adjusted forward and back, as well as fold flat for increased cargo room. Total cargo volume with the seats folded was.
Safety features included driver and passenger front airbags, front seat-mounted side torso airbags, anti-lock brakes, side impact door beams, daytime running lights, and five headrests as standard. Vehicle Stability Control, an electronic stability program, was optional at the RX 300's debut, and became standard in 2000. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the RX 300 "Good" overall in their frontal offset crash test.
2000–2003
In 2000, the RX 300 was refreshed with revised headlights and tail lights, along with the option of high-intensity discharge headlamps. The interior also gained the option of a DVD-based navigation system. A burgundy exterior color, Venetian Red Pearl, was only offered on 1999–2000 year models.In 2001, a limited edition "Silversport" was offered that included a monochromatic paint scheme in Millennium Silver or Black with an all black interior and perforated leather seats. Exclusively for 2002, Lexus introduced the limited RX 300 "Coach Edition," featuring perforated leather trim in the interior, honeycomb grille, Coach badging on the exterior and interior, and a set of Coach luggage.
Awards won by the first-generation Lexus RX include most appealing luxury SUV by J.D. Power and Associates in 1998, Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year for 1999, Money magazine's Best Deal on the Road in the SUV class in 1999, and Kelley Blue Book's Best to Hold Value Award in 1999, 2000, and 2001.
The RX 300 sold over 370,000 units in its five years on the market. It was successful in terms of sales, and became the best-selling Lexus model shortly after its introduction. Its popularity contributed to the growth of the premium crossover SUV market, with several rival makes launching competing models in response to the RX 300.
Toyota Harrier
Introduced in Japan in December 1997 along with V6 powered versions, the four-cylinder powered Harrier was available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive form. The 2.2 L 5S-FE I4 produced JIS and of torque. Both models were fitted with a 4-speed automatic transmission. The Japanese-market Toyota Harrier could be optioned with JBL sound system, sport seats, and a leather steering wheel. The Harrier found success in the Japanese market, and was also shipped as grey imports to right hand drive markets in Asia and Canada.In June 1998, a special edition "Harrier Zagato" was released. Based on the V6 model, it was equipped with special aluminum wheels and overfenders. This was a collaboration model with the Italian coachbuilder Zagato.
The V6-powered model was available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive form, which comprised all RX 300 sales in export markets from March 1998 to 2003, and Harrier V6 sales in Japan from 1997 to 2003.
In November 2000, the 2.2-liter 5S-FE engine in the Harrier was replaced by the 2.4-liter 2AZ-FE four-cylinder engine, producing JIS and of torque. As before, the engine was offered with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions. A small facelift was also performed on the Harrier. Options included sport-tuned suspension and DVD voice navigation.
Second generation (XU30; 2003)
2003–2006
In 1999, development began on the XU30 platform under chief engineer Yukihiro Okane. Design work was started under Makoto Oshima and would continue into 2000 when a concept design by Hiroshi Sukuki was approved. By early 2001, the final production design was green-lighted by the executive board, with the first prototypes being tested in 2002. Design patents were filed on 1 April 2002 under No. 794 at the Japanese Patent Office and on 21 April 2003 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.The XU30 was previewed in January 2003 at the North American International Auto Show. Featuring a sleeker body style than its predecessor, the XU30 claimed to have a and new LED tailamps. From the inside, the RX 330 interior featured genuine Golden Bird's Eye Maple or Walnut wood trim, a sliding multi-level center storage console, dual-zone climate control, and power tilt/telescopic steering column. Available options included a 210-watt, 11-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system, DVD-based navigation system with backup camera, rear seat DVD player with wireless headphones, panoramic three panel moonroof, and heated seats.
All RX models came standard with eight airbags, including dual front airbags, front row side torso airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver's knee airbag; Vehicle Stability Control and a tire-pressure monitoring system were standard. An Adaptive Front-lighting System with HID headlamps and a backup camera were optional. The Lexus RX received a "Good" overall rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal crash test. U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test results in 2004 rated the RX 330 the maximum five stars in the Frontal Driver, Frontal Passenger, Side Driver, and Side Rear Passenger categories, and four of five stars in the Rollover category.
In February 2003, the second-generation Toyota Harrier was launched in Japan. The Harrier was fitted either a 2.4 L I4 or 3.0 L V6 with or without all-wheel drive, and a new 5-speed automatic transmission with +/- shift along with available "AIRS" air-suspension on the 3.0 L V6 models. The new RX launched for European and Asian markets in early 2003, where it was sold as the RX 300 and made in Japan. Asian markets included Singapore, where it succeeded the previously sold Harrier, South Korea, and Taiwan. The RX 300 featured a 3.0 L V6, with only the all-wheel drive version available, and air-suspension could be specified.
In North America, the RX 330 series began sales in March 2003 for the 2004 model year. Here, the car was badged RX 330 denoting its larger 3.3-liter V6. The RX 330 was powered by a 3.3-liter ULEV certified 3MZ-FE V6, rated at SAE and linked to a 5-speed automatic and was offered in either front or all-wheel drive. New technology features included Adaptive Front-lighting System with swivel headlights, height-adjustable air suspension on the all-wheel drive models, Dynamic Laser Cruise Control system, and rain-sensing wipers. All North American models were initially built in Japan until September 2003 when production of the RX 330 began in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. For each year of the second and third generation RX, a small number of non-hybrid RXs were assembled in Japan.
Lexus debuted the RX 400h at the 2004 North American International Auto Show, with plans to launch the vehicle in the U.S. market. The equivalent Harrier Hybrid debuted in Japan on 22 March 2005, the same day as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Hybrid production began in March 2005 at Toyota Motor Kyushu. The Lexus RX 400h made its U.S. sales debut in mid-2005, with over 9,000 pre-orders at launch. The RX 400h's arrival in the U.S. had been delayed by several months; Lexus had announced in November 2004 that the American launch of the hybrid Lexus SUV would occur for the 2006 model year. The RX 400h became the first production premium hybrid vehicle when it went on sale in 2005.
Compared to the Lexus RX 330 and RX 350, the RX 400h featured a different front grille and round fog lights, and also differently styled LED tail lights in place of the conventional LED ones on the RX 330/RX 350. Different exterior colors were offered. In 2007, Hybrid badging was added to the rear side doors. The RX 400h interior featured a hybrid information display on the navigation screen showing electrical motor, gasoline engine, and regenerative braking activation in real time. Some RX 400h models without navigation screens displayed the information on a small monochrome display on the instrument panel. When launched in 2005, the RX 400h came exclusively with brushed aluminum interior accents, in place of the wood trim offered in the standard RX. This changed in 2006, when the RX 400h became available with Bird's Eye Maple wood trim.
Since its launch, the all-wheel drive RX 400h/Harrier Hybrid was sold at a substantial premium over the non-hybrid RX 300/RX 330/RX 350/Harrier. In the U.S., the initial base price was, which was a premium over a similarly equipped RX 330/RX 350. A front-wheel drive version of the RX 400h debuted in 2006, with a base MSRP approximately less than the all-wheel drive RX hybrid. For 2007, along with the reduction of the federal hybrid tax credit for its hybrids, Lexus lowered the base price of the RX 400h to and for the respective all-wheel and front-wheel drive versions. The list price in Japan for the Harrier Hybrid ranged from to. Based on the 2010 Lexus RX redesign, there was no RX 400h for the 2009 model year. However, the RX 400h did receive a facelift for the 2008 model year, featuring a blue Lexus badge and a rear spoiler that matches the body color.
The gasoline-powered part of the RX 400h engine system was a 3.3-liter 3MZ-FE V6, very similar to the one found in the RX 330. It produced and. The gasoline engine was aided by a maximum of two additional electric motors, one driving the front wheels, producing and and connected to the CVT gearbox, and the other driving the rear wheels, producing and. The whole system, called Lexus Hybrid Drive, produced a maximum of. With Lexus Hybrid Drive, under normal driving conditions, only the front motor and gasoline engine were used. The rear motor was only used under full-throttle acceleration or when the front wheels lost traction. An Ni-MH battery was responsible for powering the motors, and charged by generators during deceleration or sharp cornering. Standard features included an Electronically Controlled Brake and Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management stability control system.
The RX 400h gasoline engine switched off automatically and the car ran completely on electricity when either stationary, decelerating, or being driven at slow speeds—less than. Not only did the hybrid drive in the RX 400h improve fuel economy, but with the assistance of the electric motor, the RX 400h could reach in 7.3 seconds, quicker than the gasoline-only RX. Despite the increased performance, the RX 400h/Harrier Hybrid consumed roughly the same amount of gasoline as a compact four-cylinder sedan and it qualified as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle in the US. Passing power at lower and mid engine rpm's was noticeably improved due to the electric motor. The water pump for the gasoline engine is driven by the camshaft belt. To improve efficiency, and because the gasoline engine shuts down during electric-only operation, the alternator, power steering pump, and air conditioner compressor are beltless; rather than being tied to engine output, these components are powered by electric motors via the battery instead.
The RX 400h served as the launch vehicle of the Lexus hybrid lineup, which later expanded to include hybrid versions of other Lexus vehicles, including the GS 450h and LS 600h/LS 600h L, and in 2009, the first ever designated-hybrid Lexus, the HS 250h.
In January 2005, Lexus introduced the RX 330 "Thundercloud Edition" for the U.S. market, featuring a chrome horizontal-slatted grille, unique 5-spoke 18" alloy wheels, black Bird's Eye Maple wood trim, Thundercloud badges and carpeted floor mats, and two special exterior colors. Production was limited to 6,500 units.