Lexus targets family buyers with seven-seat RX

Fancy a slinky Lexus hybrid but need extra seats for the family? Well, Lexus Ireland has just answered your wishes, with the launch of the seven-seat RX 450hL SUV in Ireland. However, it will set you back €82,450 for the Luxury model, or €92,550 for the Premium edition. That puts the RX 450hL about on a par with the plug-in hybrid Volvo XC90 T8 (the only other hybrid SUV to offer seven seats) and significantly cheaper than a seven-seat Tesla Model X.

Ian Corbett, head of Lexus Ireland, said: "The RX 450hL is perfect for families who want a premium self-charging hybrid but who require that third-row seating for children and still have room in the boot for luggage and all that comes with a bigger family. The RX 450hL has a range of unique advantages to enhance the comfort of seven passengers as well as our latest Lexus Safety System technology which has a five-star Euro NCAP rating."

Autonomous emergency braking

The RX 450hL is 110mm longer than the standard RX, and the rear of the car has been redesigned (the tailgate and rear glass are, in particular, rather more upright than on the five-seat model) to give those third-row passengers more space. Those passengers, whose seats fold and unfold electrically, get their own cupholders, and the second row of seats now slides to provide as much as 150mm of extra legroom to the third row. More importantly, third-row curtain airbags are standard, as is Lexus’s “Safety Sense” system, which includes autonomous emergency braking.

Other standard equipment on Luxury models includes 20-inch alloy wheels, powered tailgate, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a 12-inch touchscreen, and a Pioneer sound system. Premium models get adaptive suspension, upgraded leather, a heated steering wheel and rear seats, a head-up display, and a Mark Levinson sound system.