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Less than two months into the new year, Lexus has laid down the gauntlet by introducing the sleek Lexus RC F Sport coupe and the all new Lexus UX crossover into the local market. By Melinda Ferguson
Lexus South Africa is set to have a bumper 2019 if their new product is anything to go by. I have on numerous occasions told anyone who’ll listen that I’m a huge fan girl of the Japanese premium brand. I crowned the LC500 my car of the year back in 2017, last year I almost robbed a bank to get my paws on the over two bar big daddy saloon of Lexus, the LS500.
So you can imagine my pleasure when I received back-to-back invitations to test-drive the RC F 350 Sport coupe in Muldersdrift and a few weeks later, the sporty crossover UX in and around beautiful Cape Town.
LEXUS RC 350 F Sport
Lets start with the RC 350 F Sport. First introduced in 2015, not too much has changed on the 2019 model – it’s kind of a case of don’t mess with something if it ain’t broken.
Refreshments include new sexy 19-inch alloy wheels and minor modifications to the rear. There are also a whole lot of new colours to knock yourself out on – 10 in fact – including Naples Yellow, Poseidon Blue, and Graphite Black. Lava Orange is particularly funky.
Trim-wise, you can choose between some stylish interiors – the all new mustard, flare red and white leather. The previous RC300X has been phased out to make way for the top of range 3.5-litre 2GR-FKS with a naturally aspirated V6 engine, which delivers 232 kW and 380 Nm of torque to the rear wheels by way of a hugely impressive eight-speed automatic transmission. The suspension is king, the sport leather seats are a dream to put your butt in, and that steering wheel just keeps you wanting to hold on and drive more, more, more.
The RC F Sport epitomises Lexus’s preoccupation with fine detail – it’s an ode to individuality and flair.
LEXUS UX
While dreams of owning the sporty LC500 or LS500 keep me playing the lottery, the new UX might just be a little more within my reach. Strategically placed to serve as an entry point into Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota, the”Urban Crossover” UX is aimed at a younger, millennial market, packed with tech, personality and bold styling. It’s not an easy segment to play in with the likes of the BMW X1, Audi Q3, the Merc GLA, Jaguar E-Pace and Volvo XC40 which are all brilliant vehicles. After spending a few hours putting both the 250h ES and 200 F-Sport through their paces I came away even more converted. The drive is superb – dynamic and lots of fun.
In my books the UX takes a step ahead of the Swedish and German pack with its finesse, attention to detail and Takumi-inspired beauty both inside and outside. But that’s not all. While the other players have an endless list of costly optional features, the UX comes packed standard with features including LED headlights, electric/heated seats, wireless smartphone charger, adaptive cruise control, an eight-speaker sound system (13-speaker Mark Levinson in the UX F Sport) reverse camera and plenty more.
RC 350 Sport – R939 100
UX 200 EX – R599 900,
UX 250h ES – R699 000,
UX 200 F Sport – R726 200
Lexus rules the safety roost with the 250h ES and 200 F-Sport enjoying features like a pre-crash sensing module, blindspot monitor and lane keep assist with lane departure alert.
If there’s any gripe to be had on both vehicles, and it’s really hard to find one, the finickety mousepad that controls the otherwise impressive infotainment system can take some time getting used to.
Still very much a niche brand in South Africa, despite being a top seller in the US, Lexus is for those who choose class and individuality over following the pack. With a whopping 70% retention rate of extremely satisfied customers in South Africa, hopefully the UX will be a local game changer. If you’re a maverick, not a crowd pleaser, take a drive on the wild side in both of these magnificent vehicles.
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