Front-Wheel Drive Lexus RX 400h Not Coming to Canada

Good news to those who appreciate luxury but want even better fuel economy, lower emissions and a cheaper price tag than the current Lexus RX 400h, is that Toyotas luxury division is expanding its new hybrid SUV lineup to include a new front-wheel drive variant to what is now a vehicle only available in all-wheel drive.

The new model, which removes the secondary rear-mounted electric motor so that only the front wheels are powered by a gasoline-electric setup, is lighter and therefore should be more efficient than the current all-wheel drive model, which represents a significant initial savings.

Currently, the price of an RX 400h is $48,410, plus $695 for freight. The new front-wheel drive RX 400h is priced at $44,660, or at least will be when it becomes available in late December. Thats a cost savings of $3,750 over the current all-wheel drive 400h.

Those wanting the all-wheel drive version but not needing a sophisticated navigation system and rear-mounted back-up camera will also be able to de-content the current RX 400h all-or-nothing package, removing these items and resultantly dropping the price by $2,350 to $46,060.

The current fully loaded RX 400h makes a total of 268-horsepower due to the combination of two electric motors, one independently powering the rear wheels and the other turning the front wheels in unison with the SUVs 3.3-liter V6 gasoline engine. The gasoline-electric Lexus provides similar acceleration to many premium V8-powered sport utility vehicles, with fuel consumption closer to that of four-cylinder economy cars, if driven with care.

With Mondays announcement there was no information offered about just how much the deletion of the second rear-mounted electric motor will affect acceleration, or on the other hand, how much it will benefit or detract from the current 400hs stellar 33 mpg city and 28 mpg highway fuel consumption rating.

The addition of a front-drive version of the RX 400h, of course, is nothing new in the SUV segment. Most automakers offer front- or rear-wheel drive versions of SUVs in the U.S., despite their go anywhere appearance.

Actually, Lexus doesnt even have to spend much time, energy and resources to develop the model, as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which is nearly identical to the RX 400h under the skin, is already offered in a front-drive configuration for $33,030.

Look for this new model to drive up the popularity of hybrids, and further secure Toyota/Lexus leadership in this ever-growing market segment.