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2020 Lexus RX350 and RX450h debut with refreshed styling and updated tech

The 2020 Lexus RX350 and 450h made their debuts late last night, refreshing the fourth-gen model that made its debut back in 2015. The luxury crossover gets a number of updates, with the changes mostly focused on styling, tech and safety. The new three-row model carries over, too, with the second row sporting a set of captain's chairs rather than a full bench. The 2020 RX is set to go on sale in the U.S. in late August 2019. The updated model doesn't look all that different than the 2019 model, especially from the profile. That said, the front and rear fascias have both been smoothed out, taking cues from the handsome LC coupe and LS sedan. All the lines look a bit more sleek, with thinner headlights and L-shaped blades in the taillights, again similar to the LC and LS. There's a sharp crease toward the bottom of the RX that carries across the grille, rocker panel and rear bumper. The grille itself gets a new mesh pattern. The interior is mostly unchanged, with changes mostly focused on comfort rather than design. Three-row models now have more adjustment in the back row, and the second row gets the aforementioned captain's chairs. The infotainment system gets a much-needed update. While the frustrating-at-best touchpad interface is still present, the RX now gets a touchscreen, hopefully improving one of our major complaints with the system. The RX also gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, something long missing from Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Voice control can be used through Lexus' own system or using Apple Siri or Google Assistant. There's also a new USB port and a phone holder to keep things in place. Underneath the skin, the 2020 RX gets a revised suspension setup and extra chassis stiffness, the latter thanks in part to new welds, high-strength adhesives and stiffer stabilizer bars. The RX has what Lexus calls Active Cornering Assist and a re-tuned stability control system to mitigate understeer mid-corner. The shocks, too, are revised to improve ride comfort and handling. Lexus says the suspension updates should improve steering feel, too. Finally, there's a few updates to the RX's safety systems. The crossover comes with the latest version Lexus Safety System +, a safety suite that includes features like pre-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and traffic-sign recognition. The new headlights have Lexus' BladeScan Type Adaptive Headlight System, or AHS.

Apple uses Logitech steering wheels and pedals to control autonomous cars

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple outlined a plan to train operators of self-driving cars in documents submitted to California regulators earlier this month, the latest clues to the company's autonomous vehicle technology aspirations. Apple was granted a permit to test self-driving cars on April 14 by the California Department of Motor Vehicles but the company has never said anything about its plan. The state released 41 pages of Apple application documents to Reuters that give some clues about the company's highly secret self-driving effort, which it has never openly acknowledged. The iPhone maker joins a long list of carmakers, start-ups and technology rivals, including Alphabet's Waymo, that are testing cars on state roads. Apple is looking for new hit products and autonomous car technology is expected to revolutionize the traditional auto industry. As part of the application, Apple included a 10-page training plan that appeared to be related to operators taking back manual control of the car during automated driving exercises of the system, which it calls a development platform. Business Insider reports that Apple engineers riding in the back seats have the ability to take over control of the car using off-the-shelf steering wheel and pedal video game controllers from Logitech. Apple declined comment beyond the filing. The plan includes a document called "Automated System: Development Platform Specific Training Overview" whose objective is "to train safety drivers in various automated driving conditions." "Development platform will be controlled electronically (e.g. joystick) and safety drivers must be ready to intervene and take control," the document reads. The document highlights different scenarios to be tested, from high speed driving and tight U-turns to lane changes. One letter sent from Apple to the state Department of Motor Vehicles noted that Apple's development platform "will have the ability to capture and store relevant data before a collision occurs." The document does not include detail on how Apple's self-driving platform actually works or other technical details. It also does not say what kind of sensors are found on Apple's three permitted vehicles, all 2015 Lexus model RX450h. The permit does not necessarily mean that Apple itself is building a full car. Apple could instead be designing a self-driving platform that can be integrated into other manufacturer's cars. (By Alexandria Sage.

Lexus GX has quietly more than doubled its sales this year

There are some things in this industry that we're perplexed by, like the infotainment system on our long-term Subaru WRX or why the Mitsubishi Mirage is allowed to exist, among other things. Let's add one more to that group, with the Lexus GX. It's not a particularly bad vehicle for a big, body-on-frame brute, remaining one of the only true SUVs in the mid-size luxury class, alongside the equally old fashioned Land Rover LR4.
Considering these things, then, what we're about to tell you makes very little sense - sales are up 135 percent through last month. The Japanese luxury marque has moved over 5,300 during the first six months of 2014, owing in no small part to a significant price drop over the 2013 model. Today, a GX starts at $49,085, while a year ago, it was $53,445.
Don't mistake this price decrease for charity, though. Lexus specifically built a lower-cost GX to lure in customers. According to WardsAuto, faux leather covers the cabin rather than the real stuff, while the overall package is decontented relative to what you might find in a typical Lexus.