New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior, MPG, Redesign

New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior, MPG, Redesign –  There’s no question the Lexus RX has been a runaway success since it launched some 25 years ago. Not only has it gone on to lead its segment in sales rather handedly, but the RX has long existed as the only conventional hybrid its size on the premium market. With competitors like BMW and Mercedes-Benz fielding plug-in hybrid (PHEV) entries of their own, however, the New 2026 Lexus RX 450h+ arrives as a range-topping trim that mixes familiarity with emissions-free range.

Picking this PHEV out from across a parking lot is all but impossible, with nothing but a tiny badge on the tailgate – plus what’s effectively an extra fuel door, but that’s even harder to spot at a distance – setting it apart from its siblings in the RX lineup. That lineup was redesigned from top to bottom just last year, and this version adopts all those same styling cues that amount to an appropriately evolved SUV.

New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Redesign and Update Plan

Exterior and Interior

Sitting atop the RX lineup, this PHEV version is offered in one fully featured trim that’s priced at $86,950 before freight and taxes. Options are limited to a few premium paint choices – including this tester’s Cloudburst Grey ($500) – and a handful of dealer-installed accessories, that’s it.

Looking at the rest of the gas-electric RX lineup, there are two conventional hybrid models to choose from: the 350h that starts at $61,450, and the 500h that has an MSRP of $81,100. But both can be outfitted with various packages that add as much as $15,500 to the price of the former, and $5,800 to the latter. Meanwhile, the BMW X5 PHEV is priced at $90,500 before freight and tax, not to mention all manner of expensive upgrades.  New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior

New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Specs

There’s little to be desired here when it comes to creature comforts, with the RX 450h+’s standard Executive package boasting nearly every feature a luxury entry like this should. While the seats don’t include massage mechanisms, they’re comfortable and supportive – and heated and ventilated both front and rear. It’s also equipped with memory settings for both front seats, a 21-speaker stereo, tri-zone automatic climate control, and more. New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior

Engine and Performance

Where both of those rivals pair turbocharged engines and conventionally geared transmissions with their plug-in components, the setup here is a little more underwhelming. It uses a 2.5L four-cylinder that’s found throughout the Lexus and Toyota lineups, as well as an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Net output stands at 304 hp, significantly less than the X5 xDrive50e in particular, which puts out 483 hp (the GLE 450e makes a more modest 381 hp); and the powertrain can occasionally come across as a little undignified under the duress of aggressive acceleration – a penalty of the transmission more than anything else. But this RX offers a bit of quickness when called upon, with its electric motors chipping in where it matters low in the engine’s rev range. New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior

New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Fuel Economy

More significantly, the RX 450h+ delivers considerable fuel savings compared to its PHEV adversaries. In fact, it barely burns more gas than the RX 350h that uses the same powertrain components but pairs them with a smaller battery that can’t be plugged in, with an officially combined consumption rate of 6.7 L/100 km.

According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the Mercedes GLE 450e is expected to burn through 9.9 L/100 km in combined driving, while the BMW X5 xDrive50e should be good for 10.6 L/100 km in the same conditions. All three call for premium-grade gas.

Where this Lexus comes up short of its rivals is all-electric range, with its 18.1-kWh battery pack providing an estimated 60 km on a full charge compared to the GLE 450e’s 77 km. (The X5 is good for 63 km, according to NRCan.) Even so, most short drives can be completed on nothing but electrons, which is handy if nothing else.   New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior

New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Safety Features

There are also plenty of advanced safety measures. The standard features include adaptive cruise control that functions in stop-and-go traffic, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, emergency braking in front and back, frontal collision warning with pedestrian and bicycle recognition, and lane departure warning with maintaining assistance.

This version of the RX also comes with extras like front cross-traffic alert, although the system is rather sensitive, plus so-called “proactive driving assist” that can detect traffic as it slows and pre-emptively apply the brakes. On top of that, there’s a head-up display, camera-based driver attention monitoring, and automatic high-beam and windshield wiper control.  New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior

New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Price and Release Date

Whereas the all-electric Lexus RZ feels like a compliance vehicle – one built specifically to meet zero-emissions mandates in places like Quebec – the RX PHEV is like the culmination of years of experience. It takes all the good stuff about the conventional hybrid version of this SUV and adds 60 km of all-electric range, plus a fully featured cabin and an incredibly plush ride.

There’s no hiding from the high price of admission, with the New 2026 Lexus RX 450h+ commanding a $9,000 premium over the non-pluggable hybrid version with the same package; but its smooth-driving ways mixed with its ability to cover most short trips without a drop of gas make this SUV the best entry in the entire Lexus lineup.  New 2026 Lexus RX 450 Interior