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2023 Lexus RX First Drive Review: Bold colors, three hybrids, irksome tech

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Every car has its color. ItÂ’s usually the one prominently photographed in press or marketing photos; the one its designers thought made the biggest impact. TheyÂ’re often bold hues, though rarely popular. The original Lexus RX will forever be remembered painted Desert Bronze. It was as bold and distinctive as the vehicle itself – remember, the RX was the first real luxury crossover, arriving before the BMW X5 and at the same time Acura was trying to pawn off Isuzu Troopers. The RX would go on to be achingly bland, but in the beginning, it was radically new and different. Desert Bronze drove home that point. As if to make a similar statement, the fifth-generation, 2023 Lexus RX arrives resplendent in Copper Crest. Despite the name, itÂ’s more of a rose gold in person, and nothing else on the road is painted anything quite like it from the factory. ItÂ’s very of-the-moment, and in 25 years, weÂ’ll all remember this RX in this color. Of course, the real question is whether the car itself will be worth remembering. It's at least a better-looking vehicle than the one it replaces, applying updated Lexus styling cues more cohesively to a body that looks like it was meant for them from the beginning. The silhouette is even less SUV-like now. Although the various modelsÂ’ ground clearances are all over 8 inches and the overall height only 0.4 lower than before, the new RX sure looks lower than the old one in person, and just low in general for an SUV. ThereÂ’s a bit of a giant hatchback thing going on, which isnÂ’t necessarily a bad thing. 2023 Lexus RX 350 Premium in Copper Crest View 10 Photos Key interior dimensions are virtually unchanged, if actually slightly below the previous generation. Clearly the sizable number of loyal RX customers didnÂ’t have a beef with available space. For what itÂ’s worth, a pair of rear passengers reported that the back seat was very comfortable with plenty of space despite a tall driver up front. Cargo capacity measures 29.6 cubic-feet with the back seat raised, which would be comparable to a Toyota Venza. Interior quality doesnÂ’t seem to be quite to the level of its predecessor, and the addition of a colossal screen rarely does aesthetic favors to a dashboard design. The RX is no exception, and while the new touchscreens available in 9.8- and 14-inch sizes provide improved functionality over the old Remote Touch touchpad-and-display system, that was a bar that could be cleared with a short hop.

2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible is much more than just coupe minus roof

LOS ANGELES — Usually when a convertible version of an existing car is introduced, the reveal story generally goes something like, "It's the same, but the roof has been removed, it goes down in XX seconds, there's less structural rigidity and it weighs XXX more pounds. That's it, carry on." With the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible, there was actually a surprising amount done to create the drop-top version and make sure it's as compelling as its existing coupe sibling. But before we get to that, make sure to take a moment to admire how pretty the LC 500 Convertible is. Or, perhaps, a second moment. The car you see here is painted Structural Blue and features a stunning Santorini-esque white-and-blue interior. That this combo will be limited to a mere 100 units as a special-edition Inspiration Series is an absolute crime. My goodness it's beautiful. OK, the Convertible transformation. Lexus improved chassis rigidity by adding, reshaping and/or relocating structural braces, including the rear suspension brace tower. To counter this, weight is reduced at the rear by using a die-cast aluminum suspension brace, and a unique dampener used to ensure comparable ride quality as the coupe. Unsprung weight at the front suspension was also reduced. In total, only 217 total pounds were added for the convertible over the 2019 LC 500 coupe. The new soft-top has four layers, and Lexus says its fabric was selected to make sure that it would stay tight and prevent wrinkling. Excellent sound insulation is promised, but Active Noise Control is also employed, whether the roof is raised or lowered, to further suppress noise. The roof is lowered in 15 seconds and raised in 16. A rigid tonneau cover is employed when the roof is lowered. Design changes for the convertible include a trunk lip that's been raised slightly and widened. The center brake light is integrated into it ­– it's normally above the back window. The beltline and rear molding were also reshaped to suppress wind, while a transparent plastic wind deflector is integrated neatly behind the back seat. 2021_Lexus_LC_500_Convertible_07 View 13 Photos Like various Mercedes and BMW convertibles, a neck-level heater is added for the front seats. They are integrated into the LC's existing "Climate Concierge" that automatically activates the heater or air conditioner, seat heating or ventilation, and the heated steering wheel. It'll also automatically blow warm or cold air onto the driver's hands when on the steering wheel.

Lexus will bring production UX small crossover to Geneva

Lexus has announced it will show its upcoming UX crossover at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The new nameplate goes 0n a smallish crossover, designed to compete with the BMW X2, the Jaguar E-Pace, the Mercedes-Benz GLA and others. Some reports say the UX would be replacing the CT200h hatchback, which has been on the market since 2011. The manufacturer first used the name on a concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, and the shapes have now been worked into a production version. The Paris concept was certainly bulky and scifi-like, but then again, so is the Toyota C-HR on which the UX is reportedly based. Lexus trademarked the model names UX 200, UX 250 and UX 250h with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office way back in 2016, so expect those to reflect the powerplants on offer; the 250h stands for a hybrid version, as has become the norm. The UX's production version might also bear a similarly over-the-top spindle grille as on the LF-1 Limitless concept, which will also be shown at Geneva for its European premiere. The teaser image released by Lexus shows little more than a full-width taillight panel that takes a curious upturn at each end, and much of the crossover is still veiled by darkness. We'll see if any more teasers surface before the car's debut. View 17 Photos Related Video: Image Credit: Lexus Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Lexus Crossover Luxury 2018 Geneva Motor Show lexus ux lexus lf-1 limitless lexus ux concept