Last week, we reported that Toyota had told dealers at NADA in Las Vegas that it would be releasing 19 new models across its Toyota, Scion, and Lexus brands in the next year. Specifically, we have driven the 2013 Lexus GS and Toyota Prius v and Prius c, among others, and have heard rumblings about the next Toyota Avalon, Lexus ES, Lexus LS, and Lexus IS. But this model, the supposed next Lexus RX SUV, comes unexpectedly.
We’re not entirely sure if this is real, and the source is dubious at best, but it makes sense and does represent a nose-job design trend that Lexus has promised to move into, starting with the 2013 Lexus GS. Called the “spindle grille,” for better or worse, it’s brawny and instantly recognizable, whereas the rest of the exterior appears unchanged, and typically Lexus-sedate.
If these photos are in fact from a leaked brochure, we can expect to again see the base model RX 350 and its hybrid brother, the RX 450h, but the real surprise is the possibility of an F Sport. Could Lexus be trying to tap into the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5M market?
Other details are minimal, at best, but the leaked brochure shows that the next RX will continue to be made available in either front- or all-wheel drive. Don’t expect a small-engine RX 270 to come stateside; it’s Japan-only. Lastly, something to watch out for is the inclusion of an air suspension on the RX 450h. Hopefully more details will be announced as the Geneva and New York Auto Shows creep closer.
Source: Minkara Carview
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