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2016 Lexus RX sharpens up for round four

Go back a couple of decades and no one would have heard of a luxury crossover. Most of the benefits of a luxury sedan and an SUV with few of the drawbacks? Unheard of. Then 1997 rolled around and two vehicles changed the face of the industry forever. One was the Mercedes M-Class. The other was the Lexus RX. And both have seen their successors unveiled at the New York Auto Show this week. The new Mercedes GLE that takes the place of the M-Class, we've already brought you from the floor of the Javitz Center. Now it's time for its Japanese rival. Now entering its fourth generation, the new RX is distinguished from its predecessors with a far more revolutionary design than that which separated the previous three: It's altogether more angular, more recognizable, more... Japanese – from the oversized spindle grille to the sharp taillights and at every pointy point in between. Of course it's not quite as edgy as its kid brother, the NX, but it has to appeal to a more conservative customer base. They'll get to choose once again between the RX 350 with conventional V6 and the RX 450h with its hybrid powertrain, both of which have been upgraded to produce 300 horsepower. The interior has likewise been updates as well, with more space and enhanced equipment. All of which ought to help the RX remain the top seller for Toyota's luxury division. Related Video:

Lexus LF-LC approved for production

On the sidelines of a press drive for the 2014 Lexus IS, the company's vice president of marketing in the US told Ward's Auto that the honchos in Japan have approved the Lexus LF-LC concept for production. He wouldn't offer any other details on how the luxury coupe might be transformed into a vehicle for the buying masses, and that has led to a bag full of speculation.
The show car was hybrid-powered and rear-wheel drive, a beautifully executed stab by Toyota designers in Newport Beach at redefining Lexus, but even with the concept, the point was to keep it "within reach for premium buyers." The report says the odds are on limited production and higher pricing than Lexus' "mainstream products," and other sites have speculated on what kind of powertrain it might end up in showrooms with.
GT Channel posits that the LF-LC will be the inspiration for a coupe in the Lexus LS price bracket with a choice of either the 4.2-liter V8 or the hybrid powertrain from the LS 600h, further speculating it will be called LC 550 and cost more than $100,000. It then says that there would be another coupe created beneath that one to replace the SC 430. Lexus Enthusiast, however, calls those "warmed-over rumors" and says that the marque probably won't deviate from its engine-capacity-naming scheme - labeling a car with a 4.2-liter V8 an LC 550. Nor does it think Lexus will use the letters LC after the company has trademarked "RC" in the US and Australia.

Here's why our Lexus NX is uglier than the rest of the world's

Take a good look at the image above. That's the US-market Lexus NX 300h, and it looks, well... distinctive. Although the entire NX crossover sports styling that could certainly be described as controversial, it's the front end of the 'ute that seems to draw most of the ire, befitted as it is with Lexus' so-called spindle grill.
Now, take a look at the pair of images just below. The one on the left is from the States (the same model seen above), while the one on the right comes from Europe. Notice a difference? The lower front fascia of the European Lexus NX dips down much lower than the one from the US, and it looks much more refined because of it.
Why the disparity between the two designs? According to Top Gear Philippines, the reason why the US gets the more pointy proboscis is because of its classification as a light truck. It seems trucks are required to have some sort of concession to the car's approach angle - in other words, a truck should be able to clear an obstacle that a car might hit. Why does Lexus care if the NX is a car or truck? Well, that has to do with how fuel economy is reported, as trucks are given less-stringent requirements for Corporate Average Fuel Economy purposes.