Lexus RX

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Lexus Prices 2010 RX450h Hybrid from $41,660, Lower than '09MY

The difficult economic environment in the U.S. seems to have 'forced' Lexus to take a more aggressive approach on the all-new 2010 RX450h Hybrid SUV's pricing which at $41,660 for the front-wheel drive (FWD) model and $43,250 for the all-wheel drive (AWD) version, is $460 and $230 respectively cheaper than the outgoing '09 RX400h model. Set to arrive at Lexus dealerships in mid-summer, the new RX450h introduces an updated version of Lexus Hybrid Drive, featuring a 3.5-liter V6 Atkinson-cycle engine, lighter electric motors and a smaller and lighter power-control unit.

In terms of fuel economy, this translates to an EPA-estimated 32 mpg city and 28 mpg highway (30 mpg combined) for the front-wheel drive model and 30 mpg city, 28 mpg highway (29 mpg combined) for the AWD, meaning that it achieves 16 to 20 percent better fuel economy than its les powerful predecessor.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Thursday, November 4, 2010

China's BYD Auto launches S6 Lexus RX Clone, Holds European Patent for Design Copyrights...

These are the first photos of BYD Auto's newest proposal in the SUV / Crossover segment, the S6 that is bound to make its debut at next month's 2009 Shanghai Auto Show that runs from April 20 to 28. If you haven't noticed it already, the Chinese automaker's SUV looks remarkably similar to the previous generation Lexus RX350. Sure the S6 has a different grille and revised headlamps / tail lights but unless your paycheck is coming from BYD Auto, few will disagree with us when we say that overall, its design shamelessly copies that of the RX350.

But what makes this story even more intriguing and apparently quite frustrating for Toyota / Lexus officials, is that believe it or not, we discovered that BYD Auto has actually succeeded in patenting the S6's design (see photo gallery bellow) at the European trademark office!

We don't have any other information on the S6 other than it is scheduled to go on sale in China later on in the year. However, what we really would like to find out is what Toyota and Lexus have to say about this latest cloning incident from China.

BYD AUTO S6 vs 2007 LEXUS RX350