Lexus RX test drive since 2008 SUV

Lexus RX 450h

Hybrid power plants - a side branch of the development of a car fauna. Side but not at all deadly, convinces us of Lexus RX 450h on the roads of Hungary
Formally, RX 450H is just a modification of the third generation of the popular RX crossover, which we have already talked about (see No. 2, 2009). However, qualitative changes in the hybrid version suggest that we have the main model of the family, and not an exotic group of support for gasoline counterparts. The external differences in the hybrid version are minimal: headlights with blasters lenses, Hybrid signs and cold blue on emblems. The image of the crossover is clearly masculine - a man does not have to be beautiful, and no one will reproach for angularity and inctingibility. Numerous sharp corners under which the forming lines intersect are united by the concept of Arrow Head (arrowhead). It does not look as romantic as it sounds. What really resembles the flight of arrows is acceleration from a place. A two -ton hybrid gains 100 km/h for 7.8 s and also briskly accelerates from any speed. At the same time, the dynamics are not the only and not the main advantage of the RX 450H.
Start
The second -generation Lexus RX with Litera H was the first hybrid SUV in the European market. The viability of the concept that provides for a powerful gasoline engine and traction electric motors caused a lot of controversy. That the American is good is the European
Four years ago, British journalists wondered: does the hybrid Lexus have real advantages over diesel SUVs of the European school? On the RX 400H and Mercedes ML 320 CDI, they drove more than 5,000 km across America from east to west (see No. 2, 2006). The conclusion was unequivocal: Mercedes was not only subjectively better, but also spent less fuel. It seemed that the issue was resolved, if not for a couple of significant but. The fuel suitable for modern German turbodiesel had to be taken with him: the local American diesel fuel would have destroyed the motor. In the absence of high -quality fuel and the small number of cars with diesel engines, only hybrid Lexus could provide in the United States such a low fuel consumption with excellent dynamics. Partly similar to the situation in Russia, right?
It seems surprising that it is in Europe that 95% of all second -generation RX sold is hybrid. Perhaps the point is a well -planned advertising campaign that offers to join the technologies of the future. In Russia, where many are wary of diesel machines, and the fuel does not save so in such a prime, the gasoline-electrical version accounts for about a quarter of the sales of the crossover.
Electrification
The idea of \u200b\u200bhybridization was quickly picked up by American manufacturers. The Mild Hybrid type turned out to be a simple tool to reduce the appetite of gluttonous monsters. Between the multi -liter gasoline V8 and the usual hydromechanical automatic machine, an electric motor -generator is installed, a nickel battery under the trunk floor. Effective, cheap and not too high -captive. Lexus power plant is much more perfect. The name Full Parallel Hybrid implies the presence of two electric motors (one on each axis), which can work both independently and in pairs with an internal combustion engine. RX 450H is not just a gasoline RX set on an electric diet. Its 3.5-liter V6 with a capacity of 249 hp, although it is borrowed from RX 350, is thoroughly reconfigured for a hybrid power plant. Its torque exceeds the peak of the traction of the internal combustion engine - 335 Nm versus 317. The functions of the starter and the generator are also assigned to the front electric motor. The traction from the engine to the rear axle is not provided - there is enough 50 -kilowth electric motor, which enters the operation only with a sharp start or slipping of the front wheels. The nickel battery, as before, is placed under the rear seats. Although the batteries have become more compact and easier, their location and cooling mode were optimized by replacing McPherson racks with a new two -leaf rear suspension. The transmission functions are performed by a planetary transmission that actually replaces the endless variator and capable of simulating six fixed steps.
The Start button does not launch the engine - after pressing on the device, the inscription Ready lights up. The crossover begins the movement absolutely silently. Instead of a tachometer - a scale reflecting the operating mode of the power plant. The blue sector is the battery charging during braking, white is the work of the internal combustion engine. Between them, the green segment, which the arrow will indicate when moving on an electric trim. Now, only on electric motors RX is able to drive up to 3 km, which promises considerable savings in urban traffic. With a rather aggressive ride outside the city with frequent accelerations and overtaking, the average fuel consumption did not exceed 10 l/100 km. Wining serpentines are not the best place to fast on RX. Passengers immediately rocking. A soft comfortable suspension allows the rolls in corners and longitudinal clips. ABS on the asphalt works unexpectedly early - the habits of the crossover conceal the feeling of a large mass. The heaviness on the steering wheel is quite natural. The fact that the amplifier is electric, you understand only by variable effort.
On high -speed Hungarian highways, the Lexus RX 450H practically does not know equal. High landing, an outstanding ability to accelerate and impeccable sound insulation helps to overcome tens of kilometers without tension. The car is so quiet that the number 180 on a speedometer may be a surprise. Only echoes of aerodynamic noise from large mirrors with a beautiful review are heard.
The new Remote Touch interface, which has replaced the sensory screen, will seem convenient to anyone who is used to handling a computer mouse, and even more so for those who are forced to use the Touch Pad sensor on laptops. The Enter button is duplicated on the right - under the thumb of the passenger. It is convenient and safe, working with the navigation system and music can be entrusted to the navigator. The absence of 12-volt outlets in the cabin of an electric car was surprised. They are included in the optional bag of the smoker. Otherwise - only one outlet in the trunk.
New era
Four years have passed since the appearance of the RX 400H, and today we can talk about the second round of the confrontation between the Lexus crossover, the hybrid North American medium -weight champion, with luxury European SUVs. RX has changed, has become more perfect and more effective. Having added 10% in power, it reduced the consumption of fuel by almost a quarter. The value of this step for the entire automobile community is much more important than it seems at first glance.
Why did I call hybrid settings by a side branch and how did Lexus stand on this special technological path? Answer: Toyota does not have a diesel engine that could be installed on a premium crossover, and it is impractical to develop it for the European market alone. But losing the richest continent is unprofitable. Lexus engineers found a brilliant solution. They created a car in demand in America, where power is put at the forefront, and in Europe, where they value the craving and efficiency of diesel models, and in Russia, where the quality of fuel is not guaranteed. Along the way, another issue was resolved. The concept of hybrid gasoline-electrical power plant intrigues potential buyers with involvement in high technologies and strengthens the image of the Lexus and Toyota engineering school.
If the first Lexus RX 400H hybrid had competitive, but compromise characteristics, then everyone will have to reckon with the RX 450H. According to factory data, an American of Japanese origin consumes less fuel than any of the diesel premium-investors, not inferior to the best of them in dynamics. Given that in Lexus traffic jams will not burn a drop of gasoline, the real difference in fuel consumption may exceed the numbers on paper. At the same time, no additional conditions under warranty, operation and even the temperature regime RX 450H do not require. In the cold, the engine warms up faster due to the exhaust gas recirculation system. The battery is designed for the entire service life of the car. Engineers put the first generation to the Toyota Prius example, who have been going on without complaints for 12 years.
- diesel? - Fabio Kapano, the director of marketing operations Toyota Motor Europe, frowns. - These are more dirty engines. They definitely need nitrous nitrogen neutralizers, soot filters.
- And you only two electric motors and a nickel battery!
- This is so, but our power plant works quieter or completely silently. And the level of emissions of 148 g of CO2 per 1 km of paths for diesel engines equal to power is generally unattainable.
Kapano is right. Hybrid technologies have ceased to be a sign on an empty barn. Today it is really a viable technology. RX 450H took a revenge, and even on a strange field. Evidence of this is the projects of competitors: Porsche has been working on hybrid Cayenne for a long time, and Mercedes launches a gas-electrical ML 450 HYBRID. A new round of confrontation? If so, then Lexus engineers can focus on running qualities and design. Hybrid technologies provided them with a huge head start.

Technical characteristics Lexus RX 450h
Dimensions, mm
4770x1885x1720
Wheel base, mm
2740
Clearance, mm
175
Trunk volume, l
496
Equipped mass, kg
2110
engine's type
basin V6 + two electric motors
Working volume, cubic meter. cm
3456
Max. Power, L.S./KW
249/6000 + 123 + 86
Max. moment, nm
317/4800 + 335/0 + 139/0
Transmission
6-band planetary programs
Drive unit
connected full
Max. speed, km/h
200
Acceleration time 0-100 km, with
7,8
Fuel consumption (average), l/100 km
6,3
Tank volume, l
65
Andrey Motorov
Photo by the author and the manufacturer
 
 

 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine