2023 Lexus RX First Drive: The Champ Returns

Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2023 Lexus RX.

It’s hard to imagine the compact/mid-size luxury crossover segment existing without the Lexus RX. It was one of the pioneers of the segment when it launched back in 1998 and it continues to lead the pack in terms of Lexus sales – that’s over 150,000 units sold in Canada since its debut – and sit near the top of the charts when it comes to overall segment leaders today.

Needless to say, it behooved Lexus to get it right for 2023, with the RX getting a full redesign from the ground up. Lexus says every part is new, right down to the lug nuts. On a larger level, the RX now sits on the GA-K platform, shared with the NX, itself redesigned for the 2022 model-year.

In addition to it sitting on a new platform, the big news for 2023 is that while the entry-level RX 350 and RX 350h models have made a return, the RX 450h is no longer, having been replaced by the RX 500h model.

Note that the 450h will return, but only as a RX450h+ plug-in hybrid model likely some time next year. The model will, however, debut alongside the others in certain world markets, namely those that have more stringent emissions standards than North America. Further, while the three we are getting at launch are built in Canada for the Canadian and American markets, the RX 450h+ is only being built in Japan for now.

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