| Road Test Lexus RX400h SE-L |
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A Lot For Your Cash
And of course the whole point about the 400h is that is isn't conventional at all. Toyota - whether building cars under its own name or the Lexus brand - is very keen on introducing hybrid techology, and that's what makes this SUV perform such tricks. A 3.3-litre V6 engine produces most of the power, but depending on circumstances it is either enhanced or replaced by two electric motors, one operating on each of the front and rear axles. Unlike, for example, the Toyota Prius, there is very little dashboard information to alert you to the various changes - just one large dial telling you whether the battery pack is giving or receiving power. You don't really hear what's going on, either. In most circumstances the 400h will drift away from a standstill with the engine switched off, and that engine is so quiet that you are barely aware of the moment when it comes into play. It's something you feel more than see. From the outside, of course, the 400h is very quiet, too, and as with all hybrids I'm slightly concerned about the way it moves from rest in almost complete silence. It's advisable to make sure that no pedestrians are likely to stray into your path as you ease away from traffic lights.
Even though it's heavier than the recently-introduced RX350 (see launch report), it performs in much the same way, with a 0-62mph time 0.2 seconds better than the non-hybrid. At the same time, it blows that car out of the water in terms of fuel economy and CO2 emissions. There is actually more performance than I feel the rest of the car can deal with. Epoch-making though it may be in other respects, the RX does not feel particularly advanced on the road. There is more front-end bounce than seems absolutely necessary, and in damp conditions understeer starts to chime in a bit earlier than I would expect even of a large, heavy SUV.
This in spite of the Lexus Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system, which combines the functions of the ABS, EBD, hybrid drive, traction control, vehicle stability control and four-wheel drive operations. I'm sure that VDIM will get you out of trouble in an emergency, but as is often the way with these things I'd be happier if the plain old mechanical suspension had been set up in a more confidence-inspiring manner.
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On the other hand, if you floor the throttle there's a rather decent roar from that V6 engine. On its own, it produces just over 200bhp, but that's enhanced to just under 270bhp with the help of the electric motors. The resulting acceleration is quite stirring, and it still requires the use of a surprisingly small amount of fuel since the motors' power was all gained through regenerative braking.
