SYDNEY: Lexus has unveiled its new flagship luxury car Lexus RC 350 F 2015 for $74,000. The new luxury car is featured with 3.5 litre petrol V6, 8spd sports auto engine.
TMR delved deep into the character of the mid-spec RC 350 F Sport to find out where it fits in the realm of sporty premium coupes.
Lexus expects the F Sport to be the favourite amongst the three-model RC range, and it’s not hard to see why when you look at the images of this eye-catching Infrared two door.
But, a week at the wheel can tell you a lot about a car, and the RC 350 has plenty to tell.
THE INTERIOR
Quality: Lexus prides itself on quality, and the company is rightfully recognised for its long-lasting, hard-wearing interiors.
We were a little surprised to find that some of the finishes of the RC don’t quite match those of its competitors.
In both the BMW 4 series and Audi A5 range you’ll find plenty of high quality hides and lashings of wood or metal trims. The RC however relies more on plastics – they are well finished but lack the polish of the Euro rivals.
Oddly we found some dud pieces too, the overhead grab-handles creaked when pulled on, and the foil trim around the driver’s window switch was starting to bubble.
Equipment: Standard inclusions in the RC range include front and rear park-sensors, reversing camera, heated and ventilated powered front seats, LED headlamps and DRLs, dual-zone climate control, proximity key with keyless entry and start, and cruise control.
The infotainment system is displayed on a seven-inch screen, accessed via Lexus Remote Touch – a touchpad controller that takes the place of Lexus’ previous joystick controller.
The latter, that touchpad, is frustratingly difficult to use when on the move.
Storage: Boot space measures 423 litres, and despite a high load-lip is otherwise a very useful space. Rear seats offer split folding for larger items.
Inside the cabin, storage spaces are a little tight; the glovebox and door pockets are compact, but the centre console is a little more generous.
ON THE ROAD
Driveability: If this Lexus coupe is ever going to convince BMW buyers to cross the tracks and buy an RC, the drive impression is where the battle will be won and lost.
It’s no secret that the motoring world holds the 435i in high esteem. To topple the Beemer, the RC 350 is going to have to be darn good.
And it is. For starters the 3.5 litre naturally aspirated V6 pumps out 233kW at 6400rpm and backs that up with 378Nm of torque at 4800rpm.
Unlike the flat torque-curve from turbocharged BMW and Supercharged Audi V6 coupes, the Lexus is ‘peakier’ but will happily sing its head off at higher revs.
Looking for a smooth drive to work, keep it under 2000rpm and you’ll barely notice the buttery-smooth engine up front.
Open the taps on an open stretch of road though and the RC responds with a rising, intense bellow. Above 5000rpm, it’s a veritable operatic chorus.and things begin to happen very quickly.
So, yes, the RC can be very quick; it loses a little to the BMW’s razor on-road focus, but is exactly as you would expect of a thoroughbred sports coupe.
Weight is the RC’s enemy, harming fuel efficiency while also taking the edge of peak performance.
The engine itself lacks fuel-saving tech like ‘displacement-on-demand’ or ‘idle stop’. On the other hand, all the money you save compared to buying a Euro goes a long way towards buying petrol.
Refinement: The only real noise that permeates the cabin is the engine if you use the throttle with intent. It’s a welcome noise too – hard edged, but high-tech and appealing.
Tyre and wind noise are commendably low. A real feat when you consider the RC uses frameless windows (often a source of noise seepage).
To top it off, the mechanical refinement is equally as sophisticated. There is no coarseness nor engine vibrations, nor unsettling shifts from the silken eight-speed automatic.
Ride and Handling: The greatest point of difference between F Sport models and the rest of the RC range centres around the handling package.
To live up to the sporting intent of that F badge on the flanks, there are adaptive dampers (also found on the Sports Luxury model) and dynamic rear steering.
Adjustment for the suspension is via the drive mode selector.
There’s a firmer feel to Sport and Sport+ settings, but to be totally honest every mode felt firm yet capable of dispatching most imperfections.
The real highlight is the dynamic rear-steer system; at speeds up to 80km/h it turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts, shrinking the turning circle and making the F Sport feel supernaturally nimble and direct.
At higher speeds the rear wheels follow the direction of the fronts, for increased high speed stability.
