Say what? A hybrid on a drag strip, isn't that overkill? For sure, buts it's no more overkill to drag an RX 400h than it is any other top-tier luxury SUV, and besting personal time trials wasn't our objective. Rather, the safe, secluded strip was ideal for finding exactly what Lexus' new SUV could do, from zero to 100 as well as beyond.
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| The immediate surge of torque that the vehicle's two electric motors produce when under load is quite impressive. (Photo: Lexus) |
The immediate surge of torque that the vehicle's two electric motors produce when under load is quite impressive, blasting the hefty SUV forward to 100 km/h in only 7.4 seconds. OK, maybe hefty is a word that should be kept primarily for truck-based SUVs. Even when compared to a similarly optioned RX 330 the 400h only gains a trite 136 kilos (300 lbs), which still leaves it underweight when put beside V8 powered rivals.
With that in mind, just how does its acceleration fare when compared to the current crop of V8-powered luxury SUVs? BMW's X5 4.4 manages 0 to 100 km/h only 0.2 seconds quicker, at 7.2 seconds, hardly noticeable to most drivers. The same could be said of its performance next to the Mercedes-Benz ML500, which manages 0 to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds. The slightly smaller, slightly lighter Infiniti FX45, however, achieves 100 km/h in only 6.3 seconds.
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| The CVT makes no shifts on its way up to highway speed, and when at full throttle it keeps the engine at optimal revs for maximum power. (Photo: Lexus) |
Still, the FX focuses on sport while the Lexus, and its German counterparts, feature a more luxurious ride.
Compared to its rivals the RX 400h might seem a bit odd when rushing to its terminal velocity, set to 180 km/h by the way. The difference is, of course, the addition of the hybrid powertrain and the sensation offered by its integrated continuously variable transmission.
The CVT makes no shifts on its way up to highway speed, and when at full throttle it keeps the engine at optimal revs for maximum power, all the while delivering relentless forward momentum.