So we got a 2013 Lexus RX 450h hybrid

We kind of weren’t interested in testing this one. We’ve driven the Lexus RX 350 several times before, and while it’s a great car, it isn’t the kind of car you look forward to, especially since we’re trying to take a break from testing cars at the moment. Ah, but this is the RX 450h, the hybrid version of the luxury mommy-mobile. For some reason, we had visions of the slowpoke CT 200h in our minds when this RX was home-delivered to us, but we assumed wrong.

But more on that later. The entire RX range has received a frontal facelift for the 2013 model-year. It looks more aggressive with that new snout, although it seems no one believes this car is more aggressive, judging by the number of times we got cut off on the road.

It’s a midsizer, first and foremost, but it’s of a manageable size, so it isn’t overly long as Lexus has no intention of fitting a third-row in the boot.

The back remains largely the same. The only hint that this is a hybrid are the badges. Whatever image the RX portrays, it is a handsome vehicle with its standard body-kit.

The interior remains largely the same. We suppose the joymouse-controlled computer has been upgraded, and there is a heads-up display as well.

The display between the gauges provides the only real clue of the hybrid system’s inner workings. It shows when the electric motor is used, when the petrol engine is used, and when the battery is being recharged. Pretty interesting to stare at it while driving.

The hybrid system doesn’t seem to take up any extra space either. The boot in the back is just as spacious as the one in the regular RX 350.

We always find hybrid cars interesting, since they’re still such a rarity here. The way those complicated systems work together, even turning off the engine several times while driving, the way it silently crawls around parking lots on electric power alone, it’s all still a novelty for us. The car is fast even, while sipping fuel like a Chevy Cruze, so there doesn’t seem to be any real drawbacks other than the higher price tag. Lexus is very brave indeed, offering so many hybrids in this market. More in the full review.