First drive: The Lexus RX L offers a premium, if slightly outdated package for large families

What is it?

Well, the Japanese firm has decided to finally plug that gap on this side of the world by introducing this — the Lexus RX L. As you can probably guess from the name, it’s effectively a seven-seat variant of the current RX which has been on sale since 2015 — but this isn’t a half-job, with Lexus making a number of changes to accommodate a third row of seating.

What’s new?

To accommodate that, the hybrid machine has grown size over the regular car — with a 110mm increase in length, although wheelbase and height have remained the same. This extra metal gives it a revised look at the rear, although it’s not a drastic redesign.

There’s little else new to report, with the car carrying its tech and petrol-electric V6 hybrid powertrain over from the current generation of RX.

What’s under the bonnet?

Just one powertrain is on offer in the UK for the Lexus RX L. It’s a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain that’s also available on the five-seat variant of the car, consisting of a 3.5-litre V6 engine mated to a battery pack and electric motor.

The package produces a total of 308 bhp, while the engine and battery independently develop 335Nm of torque — sent to the front wheels by the petrol unit, with electrical power at the back. With that power sent through a CVT gearbox, 0-60mph can be achieved in 7.8 seconds while a top speed of 112mph is possible. Fuel economy is claimed at 47.1mpg, with CO2 emissions of 138g/km – not bad at all for a huge, heavy, petrol-powered SUV.

It’s a combination that could do with a bit more punch at the lower end of the rev band. Engine torque takes a while to kick in, and running on electricity alone feels rather sluggish. It’s not helped by the CVT gearbox, which tends to send engine revs spiralling at the prod of the throttle.

What’s it like to drive?

Thanks to its hybrid powertrain, it’s quiet at a cruise and despite its size, wind noise is pretty low too. Suspension is also supple when in Normal or Eco modes, which goes far to aid a comfortable journey.

Don’t think utilizing the RX L’s Sport and Sport S modes will make it a sporty handler, though. While the steering weights up fairly nicely, it wallows under hard driving and doesn’t feel happy to be thrown about — especially with its lack of punch under the bonnet.

This is also not one of those big cars that feels much smaller on the road — it certainly owns its presence, and you’re left in no doubt about the size of the machine you’re piloting.

How does it look?

Up front, it retains the angular looks with that monstrously huge spindle grille up front that looks ready to eat up anything else on the road.

The changes out back are quite hard to spot unless you know what you’re looking for as well. While the roofline doesn’t taper off in the way the regular RX does, strategically placed design elements behind each rear passenger window create a floating roof effect and does well to disguise the increased height.

Does it look good, though? That depends on your feelings towards extremely angular designs.

What’s it like inside?

If not, it’s quite a nice place to be. Premium materials feature throughout with the use of leather throughout the cabin, while the dashboard is finished in soft touch materials.

What really separates the RX L though is right at the very back with the first-time inclusion of a third row of seats. While it may seem practical, realistically they’re only useful if you have younger children. Adults will struggle to fit in and once they do manage to get to the back, it’s not going to be a comfortable journey.

The kids will be pretty comfortable in there, though. Dual-zone air con features in the third row, along with a pair of cupholders for that ever-important fast food run.

What’s the spec like?

We tested the Premier model, which comes in £61,995. For that money, standard creature comforts include 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive suspension, a reversing camera, heated and ventilated front seats, triple-zone climate control, five selectable drive modes, ‘triple-eye’ LED headlights and Lexus’ Premium Navigation infotainment system displayed on a 12.3-inch display — amongst plenty others.

On paper, it’s respectable value for money but some of the tech itself feels outdated — especially the infotainment system. Rather than utilising a touchscreen or rotary dial like you’d find in a BMW X7 or Audi Q7, it’s operated with a frankly frustrating mouse-like control, while its navigation display is difficult to follow with no 3D option.

Verdict

That said, it is an extremely capable long-distance cruiser and a very comfortable one for occupants in the first two rows — and for children, the third — with plenty of equipment to justify the cost.