Lexus LF-Xh car

New hybrid SUV looks like a teaser to prepare buyers for a more angular and expressive RX. If Lexus holds to its usual cycle, a replacement RX will appear in a little more than year as a 2009 model. Lexus SUV uses the L-finesse design philosophy that appeared when customers thought the original batch of Lexi too bland -successful as they were.

The production RX300 SUV that appeared in 1998 propelled Lexus to record sales and created the crossover SUV formula ultimately adopted by all makers. With more than 100, 000 sales a year, the RX quickly became the best seller of the line, car or truck. For the past seven years, the RX firmly established Lexus as the luxury sales leadership in the U.S. Even with some pricing pressure from all the competitors, the $40,000 RX remains a leader.

It’s no wonder that the concept is almost identical in dimensions to the existing RX400h and RX350 models. The sharply creased LF has even a larger more exaggerated grille, and more pronounced front fenders and wheel wells than currently offered (length 189.0 inches, width 74.6 in., height 65.0 in., wheelbase 112.2 in.). The huge wheels, cameras instead of exterior mirrors, and lack of door handles or a roof rack are typical show-car tricks that rarely survive in production.