New Lexus RX300 Launched In Malaysia – 3 Variants, From RM399,888

In short order after its world debut, Lexus Malaysia has formally introduced the facelifted fourth-generation Lexus RX to the Malaysian market. The new car introduces significant enhancements in its safety equipment, driving performance, and design.

The previous RX350 and RX450 h models have been discontinued, Lexus opting to offer a sole powertrain option, the RX300 in three distinct variants: Premium, Luxury, and F Sport.

In terms of aesthetics the biggest difference is the updated spindle grille – which features an L-Shaped graphic in the Premium and Luxury variants and a vertical mesh theme in the F Sport variant – elsewhere, there are newly sculpted bumpers, front and rear, as well as sharper headlights which integrate compact LED projectors, Active Highbeam System (AHS), and LED DRLs. At the rear, the new car can be identified by its four L-Shaped light elements and sequential turn signals.

On the inside, the RX300 is offered with three interior colour themes for the RX300 Premium and Luxury: Ochher with Shimamoku Wood trim, Black with Shimamoku Wood trim, and Noble Brown with Shimamoku Wood trim. Both variants are upholstered with semi-aniline leather. The F Sport is offered with two interior colour themes Flare Red with Aluminum Trim, and Black with Aluminium Trim, along with the unique F Sport leather.

All variants now come with a touchscreen infotainment unit, the Premium variant offers up an 8.0-inch unit, while the Luxury and F Sport variants have a larger 12.3-inch unit with route navigation. The infotainment system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. A Pioneer 12-speaker audio system is supplied as standard.

Standard equipment also includes paddle-shifters, Qi wireless charging for mobile devices and Lexus’ Remote Touch Interface (RTI). The Luxury and F Sport trims are additionally supplied with a handsfree boot opening system, which works by swiping your foot under the rear bumper to unlock the boot.

The RX300 is powered by the (8AR-FTS) turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine which produces 235 hp and 350 Nm of torque between 1,650 rpm and 4,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The RX300 is equipped with the company’s Dynamic Torque Control AWD system which can vary between 50 to 100 percent of available torque between the front and rear axles depending on driving conditions.

In terms of safety, the highlights are the Pre-Collision System (PCS), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), and Lane Tracing Assist (LTA). The RX300 is also fitted with Active Cornering Asisst (ACA) to help the driver guide the vehicle during cornering. The ACA works in tandem with the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). This is in addition to more common safety systems such as Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA). Note, the RX300 is supplied with a whopping 10 airbags.

All variants are now supplied with the camera-aided parking systems, whereby the reverse camera in the RX300 works in tandem with the reverse sensors for better accuracy. The Luxury and F Sport variants are additionally supplied with a 360-degree Panoramic View Monitor.

Two new highlight colours of the RX300 include the Terrane Khaki Mica Metallic (pictured), and Ice Ecru Mica Metallic. The RX300 starts off at RM 399,888, inclusive of a 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty.