Insights Into the New RX from Design and Engineering Chiefs
The Lexus RX is the company’s bread and butter vehicle. Pioneering the idea of a luxury SUV, their efforts have created an entirely new segment of automobile, and with it, strong competition. The new version needs to be better than the previous version, and the competition, but it must also be familiar to current Lexus RX owners. Here’s two videos that capture how the design and engineering teams hope to accomplish such a tall order.
In this first video, Takayuki Katsuda, chief engineer on the RX project, describes his goals with the new vehicle. He’s very aware of the competitive marketplace and the need for his vehicle to be better than the competition. He believes they’ve succeeded in developing a new, modern version of the RX, while still obviously being a Lexus.
In the second video, Gen Ikeda, chief designer of the project, had a potentially more difficult task. He needed to integrate all of Lexus’s latest design cues, including the spindle grille, while still making the vehicle look like an RX on the road. When people see it, they need to know it’s a Lexus.
The interior is also a place of significant improvement, including a full color Heads Up Display, new stereo interface, and nicer overall materials. I haven’t had a chance to drive it yet, but it looks like a nice place to be.
Will the new RX succeed as a replacement to the current model? Only time, and sales numbers, will tell. But from a personal perspective, the new Lexus design language is really growing on me (I wasn’t a fan at first). Its look is certainly unique in the luxury SUV space. Besides, history has shown that it’s unwise to bet against Lexus, particularly in this segment.
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