It produces combined totals of 302bhp and 421lb ft for a 0-62mph time of 7.0sec, while an 18.1kWh lithium ion battery yields an electric-only range of 40 miles, putting it slightly ahead of the Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e (37 miles).
The RX 500h, positioned as the most dynamically focused model in the line-up, offers turbocharged hybrid power for the first time in a Lexus.
Lexus says the addition of a turbocharged powertrain was necessary because the desires of customers are constantly changing.
Spiros Fotinos, boss of Lexus Europe, said: “The expectations from consumers are evolving for different reasons, either because they’ve been in an EV and they like the instant torque response, or because they expect to have a more efficient vehicle without the feeling that the driving experience is worse.
“While we used to think ‘more efficient is more sluggish’ and so on, that’s not true any more. That trade-off is not there any more. Of course, regardless of the segment, in particular where customers are spending a lot of money and the expectations are there and maybe they have a second car that is an EV, you have to keep pushing that boundary forward in terms of the experience.
“Of course, a pure BEV works in a different way, but in the same way the overall experience in terms of stability, delivery of torque, that expectation is there.”
The RX 500h tops the range with 366bhp and 475lb ft supplied by a 2.4-litre engine and a pair of electric motors giving it full-time four-wheel drive.
A rival for the BMW X5 xDrive45e, it can do 0-62mph in 5.9sec, and Lexus claims the Direct4 system gives it the ability to balance power and torque between both axles faster than any mechanical system, improving steering feel and handling stability at higher speeds.