Lexus Excels With New RX 300 Limited Edition

High value addition to Britain’s most popular luxury petrol SUV range

Just as Lexus initiates a quantum leap in the premium SUV market with the launch of its hybrid power RX 400h model, it is adding further lustre to its established range with the introduction of the new RX 300 Limited Edition.

Following its launch in 2003, the RX 300 quickly established itself as Britain’s best selling petrol-powered luxury 4×4. Now Lexus is broadening the appeal of the range still further with the new Limited Edition model. This comes equipped with many of the comfort, style and convenience features that are a hallmark of Lexus’s superior specification, but offered at a fiercely competitive price.

The Limited Edition is based on the entry-level RX 300, with the addition of a number of desirable items that hitherto have been reserved for higher grade models.

These include leather upholstery, eight-way electrically adjustable and heated front seats, a rear seat that split-folds 40:20:40, 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with 235/55 R18 tyres and metallic paint.

These items are in addition to a standard specification that includes cruise control, eight-speaker sound system with in-dash six-disc CD autochanger, five-speed automatic transmission, leather trimmed steering wheel with audio controls, High Intensity Discharge headlights, rear and side privacy glass, climate control air conditioning, speed-sensitive power steering and a suite of nine cabin airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag.

Customers can also take advantage of two key options. The Lexus Navigator DVD-based satellite navigation system features convenient voice recognition control, Electronic Traffic Avoidance which automatically provides an alternative route if delays are detected on the road ahead, and Bluetooth® connectivity for hands-free use of compatible mobile telephones. The package also includes Lexus’s Parking Assist Monitor, which relays images from a rear-mounted miniature camera to aid safe and simple reverse parking manoeuvres.

Also available is an In-Car Entertainment package, comprising a DVD player with twin monitors mounted neatly in the back of the front seat head restraints. Rear seat passengers can enjoy movies on the move, CDs, music from MP3 files, or, with the benefit of additional connectors (not supplied by Lexus), computer games. Infra red headsets are provided which allow passengers in the front to continue listening to the RX 300’s audio system undisturbed.

These additional features have a customer value of more than £3,500, but the Limited Edition is available at an on-the-road price that is just £1,500 greater than the regular RX 300 model. Comparison prices are given in the table below.

The RX 300 Limited Edition’s price is even better value when compared to its key market rivals. The BMW X5 3.0i SE, Mercedes-Benz ML350, Volvo XC90 T6 SE Geartronic and Volkswagen Touareg 3.2 V6 Tiptronic are all more expensive in terms of on-the-road price, a gap which widens further when their specification is upgraded to match the Lexus’s superior standard. In the case of the BMW, the price tag is more than £9,700 greater than for the RX 300 Limited Edition, while for the Mercedes it adds up to almost £7,400, taking the additional specification items into account.

The Lexus RX 300 Limited Edition is available now, in Brechin Slate or Stafford Blue metallic paint finishes and Oakham Beige or Pembroke Black leather interior.

ENDS