If there’s any SUV crying out for a plug-in hybrid powertrain, it’s the Lexus RX. The OG RX pioneered the idea of a “performance hybrid” back in 1998 - by which we mean using electrification to achieve great economy but also round out the performance, rather than being strictly a go-fast kind of thing. Because it’s a Lexus SUV.
Click here to read our full review of the Lexus RX 350h & 500h
Anyway, the RX has continued being good at hybridy things and Lexus has already created a pure-electric alternative in the form of the RZ. So what the petrol-electrified RX hybrid needs in a 2025 environment is a plug; especially when the smaller NX has had one for a while.
Here it is: the RX450h+ (that last bit signifies “+” the plug). And as with the NX, it turns out the upgrade wasn’t really that hard, because the powertrain is pretty much lifted from the Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV, a model offered in some overseas markets and occasionally seen here as a used import.
The $144,900 RX 450h+ comes only in Limited specification, so it’s a natural step up from the $137,900 RX 350h Limited regular-hybrid. It’s 140kg heavier, but also 43kW more powerful and 1.4 seconds quicker to 100km/h (6.5sec). Plus you can theoretically use the claimed 85km EV range to commute on pure-electric, feeling serene in city traffic. Seems fair, although it seems like a missed opportunity for the big battery to lack DC fast-charging. Still, it can be powered up in less than 3 hours on a home wallbox.
The RX is good at hybridy things and Lexus has already created a pure-electric alternative in the form of the RZ. So what the petrol-electrified RX hybrid needs for 2025 is a plug... and here it is.
You can just leave the car to work out all the electric-versus-petrol stuff and charge it when you can; simple. But if you want to manage the power, that’s easy too: there’s one button to switch between EV and HEV (hybrid), and another that cycles between standard EV mode, hold (where the car keeps the current state of charge for later use) or charge (the petrol engine charges the battery).
If you’re driving in EV mode and have sufficient charge, it stays in electric, even if you put your foot right down. Like that.
The powertrain is pretty much lifted from the Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV, a model offered in some overseas markets and occasionally seen here as a used import.
The only really disappointing aspect of the RX450+ is range. Despite the big battery and 85km claim, more like 65km seemed to be the reality during our time with the car. Which is fine for daily commuting, but a bit disappointing in a 2025 context.
What’s not disappointing is the RX’s luxury ambience. Sure, it’s a $145k car, but the sumptuous cabin feels even more expensive than that. There are tactile materials to ooh and aah over, supremely comfortable seats and just the right level of tech.
Despite the extra power, the RX450+ is all about luxury. It’s faultlessly refined at sensible speeds, but doesn’t like to be hurried.
The large infotainment screen maintains a dock of often-used shortcuts even in phone projection mode (which is finally wireless for Android in the RX) and when things do go a bit sci-fi, like the steering wheel touch-pads that activate a menu on the head-up display, it works beautifully and in an intuitive way.
Despite the extra power, the RX450+ is all about luxury. It’s faultlessly refined at sensible speeds, but doesn’t like to be hurried. The continuously variable transmission flares when challenged in hybrid mode and the 4-cylinder engine loses dignity when the revs start to climb.
The chassis is soft and corners just fine, but lacks control on big bumps and sometimes floats from one undulation to the next in a distracting way - even with the adaptive suspension doing its best to keep things in check.
If you really want a sportier RX, there’s the 500h, which is a comprehensively different machine with a turbo-hybrid 2.4-litre engine, conventional 8-speed automatic and a more aggressive suspension setup.
The standard RX still does luxury so well, and this pure-electric component ramps up the potential for serene travel. We’d still like more EV range, but if you’re shopping in the RX Limited zone, the 450+ PHEV makes a strong case for itself… very quietly.