2018 Lexus RX Crafted special edition detailed

Lexus Australia has launched a special edition of its RX large SUV, with the 2018 Lexus RX Crafted special edition now on sale in Australia. Available with all three drivetrains in the Lexus RX range, the RX Crafted special edition features added standard equipment. Just 300 units will be produced, all five-seat – seven-seat RX-L buyers need not apply.

Commanding a $7,100 premium over entry level RX models, the Crafted special edition adds numerous equipment highlights from upper-spec RXs, including a heads-up display, a premium 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system and a sunroof.

Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson said the price step for the Lexus RX Crafted was approximately halfway to the F Sport variants that already offer many of the special-edition features as standard.

“The additional luxury and value of the stylish Lexus RX Crafted will attract a wider audience to a vehicle noted for its practicality, convenience, spaciousness and easy manoeuvrability,” Mr Thompson said.

Based on the entry RX Luxury models, the 2018 Lexus RX Crafted special edition adds a 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, a colour heads-up display, a 12.3-inch infotainment system, black 20-inch alloy wheels and black exterior highlights, including foglamp surrounds, mirror caps and grille surrounds.

This is on top of the standard RX’s extensive standard equipment, including leather upholstery with heated and ventilated front seats, automatic headlights and wipers, bi-LED headlights with front and rear foglamps, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, as well as Lexus Safety System+, which includes AEB, radar cruise control, blind spot monitoring, auto high beam, rear traffic alert and lane departure warning.

The three drivetrains available with the 2018 Lexus RX Crafted special edition are unchanged compared with the standard RX. They include the 175kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol RX300, the 221kW/370Nm 3.5-litre V6 RX350 and the 3.5-litre V6 hybrid RX450h, which is capable of a combined 5.9L/100km fuel consumption rating.

Lexus SUV sales are going strongly this year, with 2,095 units sold to the end of April for the first time – an improvement of 18.8 percent over this time in 2017. This is largely due to strong NX SUV sales, thought the seven-seat RX-L will have also helped.