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Bruce Newton5 Sept 2014
NEWS

Sharp price for new Lexus coupe

New RC 350 throws out the power and torque challenge to German rivals

Lexus will offer tempting bang for your buck when it launches its dramatically styled rear-wheel drive RC 350 coupe in Australia in November, pitching entry-level pricing as low as $65,000.

The 2+2-seat two-door will only come with a 3.5-litre V6 naturally-aspirated engine with outputs and performance close to $100,000 rivals such as the BMW 435i, Audi A5 3.0 TFSI quattro and Mercedes-Benz C 350 coupe.

However, it will be offered in three different specification grades; Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury, enabling Lexus to offer a pricing step ladder that is expected to top out around $100,000.

That means the 233kW/378Nm RC 350 Luxury, which is capable of accelerating to 100km/h in a claimed 6.3 seconds and to 400 metres in 14.3 seconds, would compete on price against slower and less powerful cars such as the Audi A5 1.8 TFSI, BMW 420i and Mercedes-Benz C250 coupe.

“I would expect it to be somewhere in the $65,000 to 75,000 range for the entry level,” said Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley. “We are a long way from finalising it but that's the kind of range I am hoping to get.”

Hanley was speaking at the global launch of the RC 350 in the USA last week, where motoring.com.au sampled the new coupe for the first time.

The new RC F V8 super-coupe was launched at the same event, but Hanley wasn't forthcoming on price for that car as it doesn't launch until February next year. But you can read about the mechanical and equipment details here and the first drive impression here.

The other RC variant currently available is the 300h petrol-electric hybrid, but Lexus Australia is unenthusiastic about it and supply is currently limited to Japan anyway. A 200t using the new Toyota-developed 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine seems a formality, while a convertible is possible but not confirmed. All-wheel drive is available but not coming to Australia.

Hanley said the RC would not become a volume model for Lexus Australia, but would play a key role in the transformation of the brand's image.

“This car is not focussed on volume, this car is focussed on brand and the brand image,” he said. “It will create a halo for the brand. It appeals to a certain audience that likes performance and certainly likes sports cars.

“Design is a big part of this car… it is another demonstration to the world that Lexus can offer this level of sports performance and technology.”

Appropriately enough, considering the lofty ambition, the RC is a fundamentally new car, albeit employing the parts bin wherever appropriate.

The architecture uses the front-end of the medium GS sedan so larger tyres can fit more easily, the heavily braced mid-section from the IS250C convertible and the rear of the latest IS compact saloon with its short overhang, albeit with tubbed wheel-arches for fat rubber. The wheelbase is 2730mm.

Lexus says this unique combination provides rigidity and strength for safety. But it is not light, the claimed 1680-1740kg kerb weight more than 150kg heavier than the BMW 435i.

The RC 350 is also longer than its obvious European rivals, measuring up at 4695mm. It is 1840mm wide and 1395mm high.

The DOHC 3.5-litre 2GR-FSE engine, which features both direct and port fuel-injection, is familiar thanks to its use in the IS 350 and GS 350 and in detuned form in the RX SUV and ES medium sedan.

Peak power is made at 6400rpm and peak torque at a high 4800rpm. Lexus claims a 9.4L/100km fuel consumption average, which is substantially higher than its European rivals that have similar engine output figures, often from smaller-capacity forced-induction engines.

The V6 mates exclusively to the well-known eight-speed Aisin Warner torque-converter automatic with three modes including manual shifting via the lever or flappy paddles.

Front suspension is via double wishbones and the rear via multi-link; steering is electric-assist rack-and-pinion; brake and wheel size vary depending on the model – the Luxury and Sports Luxury get 18-inch wheels and smaller front disc brakes than the F Sport, which rolls on 19s.

The F Sport is also alone in offering variable-ratio steering, rear-wheel steering and adaptive variable suspension as standard, which can all be tuned through three settings via Drive Select, up to and including Sport+.

Drive Select also affects transmission shift and throttle response across four modes, including Eco in Sports Luxury and F Sport, while the Luxury drops the Sport+ option.

Both Sports Luxury and Luxury have adjustable weighting for the standard electric power steering via Drive Select.

The F Sport has also been distinguished externally and internally from the other RC 350s. While all three get LED high- and low-beam headlights, it has a full spindle grille similar to the RC F. The Luxury and Sports Luxury have more conservative executions.

The rear three-quarter panel of the RC is significant because its dramatic shape required the development of a new metal pressing technique, while a new five-layer paint process was developed for the hero ‘Infrared Mica' red paint.

Inside, the Luxury and Sports Luxury get the traditional two large two meters in their instrument panels, while the F Sport has a single meter inspired by the LFA supercar. The F Sports also has drilled aluminium pedals and other identifiers such as perforated leather for the steering wheel and gear shifter and unique badging.

The dashboard and console is familiar to anyone who has been in a recent Lexus, with pronounced steps and demarcation between the driver and front-seat passenger. In the rear, space is limited, but a split-fold rear seat is offered for the 366-litre boot.

Full equipment across the three grades won't be revealed until closer to local launch, but we do know it will broadly reflect the content of the IS and GS models.

Confirmed already are eight airbags; rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring; pre-collision auto braking; the latest VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) Step 5 which manages powertrain, braking, steering, adaptive suspension and stability control systems in performing drive-turn-stop functions; lane departure warning and a pop-up bonnet for pedestrian safety.

New comfort features include a climate-control system overhaul with funky touch-sensitive electrostatic switches and a touch-operated controller for the audio, navigation and information systems that do away with rotating dials or mouse controllers. Moving one finger over the panel surface moves the cursor and pressing down or double tapping on it enters the selection.

Two new audio systems – a 10-speaker Lexus-designed unit and a 17-speaker system supplied by Mark Levinson – are also available.

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