The Lexus RX is a crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) sold since 1998 by Lexus, the luxury division of the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Three generations of the Lexus RX have been produced to date, the first being compact in size, and the latter two classified as mid-size. Prior to the third generation model, Japanese sales occurred under the name Toyota Harrier (トヨタ・ハリアー) as the Lexus brand had yet to be launched in Japan.
In the Lexus model lineup, the RX sits below the company's other SUVs, the GX and LX, but remains the brand's only crossover model. As the one of earliest luxury crossovers on the market, the Lexus RX has inspired similar competitors from rival marques. Based on the unibody front-engine, front-wheel drive multi-model platform used by the Lexus ES, the RX is designed to combine the functional characteristics of an SUV with ride and features of a luxury sedan. Its commercial success as the best-selling Lexus model has been partially attributed to the strong reliability reputation held by Toyota and in turn Lexus. The success of the RX has been particularly strong in the United States where it has been the best-selling luxury SUV since its introduction. Manufacture of the RX has occurred at the Miyata plant in Miyawaka, Fukuoka, Japan since launch. However, the RX remains notable as the only Lexus model to be also manufactured outside of Japan, with North American market non-hybrid versions produced at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada plant in Cambridge, Ontario since 2003.
Currently in its third generation, the RX series has comprised both front- and four-wheel drive configurations and offered several gasoline powertrain options. Lexus fitted original RX series from 1998 with a 3.0-liter V6 engine and marketed this model as the "RX 300". The Japanese market Toyota Harrier also offered a 2.2-liter inline-four, later uprated to 2.4-liters. Lexus released the second generation in 2003 as the "RX 300" (3.0-liter V6) or "RX 330" (3.3-liter V6), depending on the market, although both variants were supplanted in 2006 by the more powerful "RX 350" (3.5-liter V6). Like the previous series, a 2.4-liter inline-four engine sold alongside the 3.0-liter V6 in the Japanese market Toyota Harrier. In 2005, a hybridized gasoline-electric version of the 3.3-liter second generation model was made available as the "RX 400h" in export markets and as the "Harrier Hybrid" in Japan. For the third and current iteration released in 2009, Lexus initially offered both "RX 350" (3.5-liter V6) and "RX 450h" (3.5-liter V6 hybrid) models, with an entry-level "RX 270" (2.7-liter inline-four) offered since 2010 in some Asian markets.
In February 1997, Lexus debuted the "Sport Luxury Vehicle" (SLV) concept, a prototype crossover SUV, at the Chicago Auto Show. This concept, which appeared close to production, combined the characteristics of an SUV, wagon, and sedan. In Japan, the SLV concept appeared in first-generation Toyota Harrier form in December 1997 (codename SXU10 and MCU10 for the front-wheel drive models, and SXU15 and MCU15 for the all-wheel drive models). Two engines were available, the 2.2 L 5S-FE I4 which produced 102 kilowatts (137 hp) JIS and 191 N·m (141 lb·ft), and the 3.0 L 1MZ-FE V6 which produced 161 kilowatts (216 hp) JIS and 304 N·m (224 lb·ft). Both engines could be specified with either front or all-wheel drivetrains. All models came with an automatic transmission. In Japan, the first-generation Harrier was a sales success, and many went to other right hand drive markets in Asia as grey imports.
The Lexus RX 300 made its sales debut in America in March 1998 as a 1999 model following its premiere at the 1998 North American International Auto Show, it was powered by an LEV certified 3.0-liter 1MZ-FE V6 producing 220 horsepower (160 kW) SAE and 222 pound-feet (301 N·m) of torque, mated to a 4-speed automatic in either front or all-wheel drive variations. On the exterior, the RX featured heated mirrors, automatic light-sensing headlights, a low step-in entry height, and an overall drag coefficient of 0.36 Cd. The front and rear lights were similarly styled, being mounted inside translucent housings, the rear liftgate had a top-mounted spoiler, and small quarter windows were located by the side-view mirrors. Ground clearance measured 20 centimetres (7.9 in). Anti-lock brakes were standard, while Vehicle Stability Control was optional. The first RX utilized a modified front-wheel drive sedan platform, derived from the Lexus ES, while having its own floorpan. Upon release, the Lexus RX was an immediate hit, and sold over 370,000 units in five years.
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