The story of the Lexus RX began in the late 90s of the 20th century, and its birth was inseparable from the great success of the ES series, and Toyota decided to build a new SUV crossover urban SUV based on the ES chassis to continue to expand its territory in North America.
First generation: 1998-2003
In 1998, the first generation of the Lexus RX was born. Equipped with a V6 engine, the RX integrates the concept of a sedan into this SUV, with a different exterior from the traditional boxy front end, and a large number of solid wood and leather materials used in the interior, which is more comfortable and has lower fuel consumption, subverting people's perception of urban off-road vehicles and leading the trend of mid-size luxury SUVs. In just over five years, the first generation of the product sold a staggering 370,000 units in North America.
Second generation: 2003-2009
In January 2003, the second generation of the product was launched, while continuing the luxury of the first generation, the appearance of the second generation of the product is more streamlined, and the original 4-speed gearbox is upgraded to a 5-speed gearbox, and the top model is also equipped with air suspension. In 2005, a hybrid version was launched that combined technology with luxury, and fuel consumption was significantly reduced. With the blessing of technology, the RX sold 100,000 units in 2006! Of course, such an excellent model cannot escape the fate of being imitated, especially in the period when most domestic brands have weak independent research and development capabilities. BYD S6, JAC Ruiying, these familiar names, allow Chinese people to spend more than 100,000 yuan to have a car that looks very similar to Lexus RX. If you don't think it's like that, change all the badges to Lexus. It is worth mentioning that Toyota, after improving and enlarging the chassis of this generation of RX, launched another model in 2004 that is still very popular today——。
In 2009, the third-generation Lexus model was unveiled, with a well-designed appearance and asymmetrical center console, so that the RX has a sense of fashion while being stable, and the noble atmosphere remains unchanged. In the eyes of many people, this generation of RX can best interpret the brand value of Lexus, and the editor also has a soft spot for this generation. In order to cater to the market, this generation is based on the RX350 and models, and the RX270 model with a four-cylinder engine is offered. Although the entry-level model also costs more than 500,000 yuan, this generation has a very high number of shares in China and is known as the "RX classic".
In 2015, Lexus launched the fourth-generation RX model, the exterior design of this generation completely broke the mature and stable style of the previous three generations, the exaggerated front of the car gave people a strong impact, showing Lexus's intention to open up young customer groups, and the new design made the nearly 4.9-meter body look very compact.
On September 5 this year, the fourth-generation 2020 Lexus RX was launched in the spotlight, with little change in the facelifted model, a sharper front face, a larger screen in the center console, and support for popular functions such as mobile phone interconnection and voice recognition. In addition, the biggest change is the addition of a 6/7-seater variant, which has been extended to 5 meters with the same wheelbase. The most important change for us is the increase in the price of the new model......
The 2020 RX gasoline version uses a combination of a four-cylinder 2.0T engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, although the peak data of this engine is higher than that of BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, but the power response speed is too slow compared with these two cars, and the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal are very heavy at low speeds, which will be more difficult for women to drive.
The interior has not changed much, compared to the sharp and dynamic appearance, the interior seems too conservative, but the exquisite mobile phone slot design under the center console makes people feel Lexus-style intimacy, and you can intuitively feel the changes in the interior of the fourth-generation RX from the picture below.
For tall people, the ride comfort in the rear is clearly not satisfactory. Although the seat backs are adjustable, the rear seats are relatively low and the seat cushion length is not enough due to the high chassis design. Sitting in the back doesn't feel the comfort that a Lexus deserves. The interior smell is also relatively strong, probably because the test car has been exposed to the sun.
The driver's seat is comfortable for people with a height of 187cm, and the rear seat is also in the same position.
The trunk lateral space and depth are good, and it is very flat, but the height has reached the hips of the 1.8-meter-tall editor, which is not very friendly to female owners who are shorter.
It's flat, but the opening height is a bit high
According to the original car configuration, at least 435,000 two-wheel drive comfort version, the minimum configuration of 398,000 two-wheel drive elite version is 37,000 cheaper than the comfort version, the reduced configuration has an electric trunk, leather seats with ventilation and heating electric memory, steering wheel memory, mobile phone wireless charging, lane departure warning, etc., if you want a four-wheel drive system, panoramic sunroof, you have to pay 472,000, and the cost performance can not even be compared with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and other luxury brands. If you are an environmentalist who loves hybrid systems, you can choose from a starting price of 650,000 yuan; The all-new 7-seater model based on the hybrid version starts at 672,000 units, and the 6-seater model costs 729,000 units, and the RX is no longer available in the Lexus 4S store. There was 1 car on display, and the test drive was the RX300 2WD Comfort Edition, with only 2 cars.
No matter which RX you want to order, you need to add a premium of 30,000 yuan to order now, and you can only pick up the car after 3 months. Although Lexus's zero-inventory policy is hated by the majority of consumers, there is no need to worry about the value retention rate, because the previous generation model has not been discounted since it was launched, and it is also the brand with the highest value retention rate in the used car market.
In the blink of an eye, the Lexus RX has gone through 20 years, and it has been a unique luxury car for 20 years, and the development is smooth. But after having everything, we find that there are always things that make people gain and lose. When we talk about cost performance, you talk about quality; When everyone enjoys quality, you talk about luxury temperament; When everyone wants to enjoy luxury, you talk about feelings.
After all, what is the most expensive thing in the 21st century?
Feelings......