Following the introduction of the RX 350 earlier this year, Lexus Malaysia has now officially launched the range-topping RX 500h F Sport here in Malaysia. The hybrid luxury SUV is now available for booking at Lexus showrooms nationwide, at a starting price of RM498,888 on-the-road, without insurance.
F Sport exterior
The 2023 RX 500h F Sport in Malaysia comes equipped with the F Sport body kit, consisting of the more aggressive front and rear bumpers with faux air vents, body-coloured side skirts and mouldings, unique black-coloured Spindle Body grille, darkened window surrounds, and black mirror covers.
A set of matte black 21-inch light alloy wheels complete the sporty looks, and are wrapped in “exclusive” tyres – tweaked Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV rubbers, with the velvet side walls borrowed from the PS5.
Otherwise, standard equipment on the outside essentially mirror that of the Lexus RX 350, which includes the tri-beam BladeScan matrix LED headlights underscored by the marque’s signature boomerang-shaped daytime-running lights, full-width LED tail lights, as well as the unique E-Latch door handles that use an electronic button to unlatch the doors, as opposed to a mechanical connection.
The new 2023 Lexus RX 500h F Sport can be ordered in four exterior colours, namely White Nova Glass, Sonic Iridium, Graphite Black Glass Flake, and the signature Sonic Copper hue.
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2023 Lexus RX 500h Direct4 hybrid powertrain
The highlight of the new RX 500h variant is its new hybrid powertrain underneath the bonnet that uses the same 2.4-litre turbocharged inline-four engine as its 350 counterpart, but augmented with two electric motors for even more performance.
One motor is incorporated directly into the powertrain itself, sandwiched between the engine and gearbox for parallel hybrid (or full electric) operation, while the other higher-powered motor is placed on the rear axle – called eAxle – to give the RX 500h its Direct4 all-wheel drive capability.
Together with a six-speed automatic gearbox, the 2023 Lexus RX 500h F Sport boasts a total system output of 371 hp (273 kW) and 550 Nm. In terms of performance, the RX 500h sprints from a standstill to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds, onward to a top speed of 210 km/h.
Electrons for the motors are supplied by a small 5 Ah battery pack, which is automatically recharged when driving. As the range-topping model in the variant line-up, the Lexus RX 500h in Malaysia also comes as standard with F-Sport-tuned suspensions with adaptive dampers, as well as the Dynamic Rear Steering system, which enables rear-wheel steering up to four degrees.
High-tech interior, F Sport touches
The interior of the new 2023 Lexus RX 500h also takes after the high-tech cabin of the RX 350, characterised by a new two-tier driver-focused dashboard layout that Lexus says is modeled after a new ‘Tazuna‘ concept, or Japanese for “the reins of a horse”.
Taking centre stage on the dashboard is a new 14-inch touchscreen infotainment display, with integrated rotary dials for the three-zone climate control system, paired to a digital instrument cluster as well as a full-coloured head-up display.
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As part of the F Sport package, the 2023 Lexus RX 500h cines fitted with variant-exclusive displays on the instrument cluster, Ultrasuede and leather upholstery, sport seats with additional side support and the F Sport logo debossed onto the headrests, perforated leather F Sport steering wheel, darker Dark Spin aluminium trims, as well as aluminium pedals. A 21-speaker Mark Levinson premium surround sound system is also included as standard.
Otherwise, interior specification is largely identical to that of the RX 350, which includes ventilated seats for both front and rear (outboard), wireless charging pad, powered reclining rear seats, 64 colour ambient lighting system, as well as a NanoeX negative ion air purifier.
As the batteries for the hybrid system is tucked away neatly underneath the rear seats, boot space on the RX 500h has not been affected either, with 612 litres of space available when the rear seats are in their normal position. Lexus says this is enough to fit four golf bags – truly understanding its target market.
Lexus Safety System+
Like its 350 sibling, the new 2023 Lexus RX 500h F Sport in Malaysia also comes equipped with the Lexus Safety System+ (LSS) advanced driver assistance suite as standard, which includes features such as:
- Pre-Collision System autonomous emergency braking
- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Curve Speed Reduction functions
- Lane Departure and Lane Tracing Assist
- Adaptive high-beam
- Road Sign Assist
The Lexus Teammate Advanced Park suite is also included as standard, which adds an automated parking function, rear-cross traffic alert, as well as a 360-degree surround view monitor with 3D views.
2023 Lexus RX 500h F Sport pricing in Malaysia
The new 2023 Lexus RX 500h F Sport is priced from RM498,888 here in Malaysia, on-the-road and without insurance, making it RM30k dearer than the pure-petrol RX 350.
Included in the price is a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, alongside an eight-year warranty for the hybrid systems, optionally extendable to 10 years of coverage.
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