Radical styling helps the RX to stand out. The interior is excellent too, with high-quality materials and loads of equipment. The RX prioritises comfort over driving dynamics, though, so if you're looking for a large, refined, easy to drive SUV, you can't go far wrong with a Lexus.

The current RX continues the tradition and uses Toyota’s long-established ‘self-charging’ hybrid system with onboard batteries and supplementary electric motor to reduce emissions and improve economy.

Standard equipment on all models includes climate control, heated front seats, an eight-inch display screen with navigation, DAB radio and a reversing camera. Standard driver aids and assistance features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic high beam, traffic sign recognition and automatic emergency braking, which were previously all part of an optional safety pack.

The 450h model has 309bhp and 335Nm of torque and goes from 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds.

There are a few different types of leather seat available, with higher-spec models getting perforated material to allow for ventilation on a hot day. Heated seats are available too, with a memory function to allow multiple drivers to get comfortable more quickly.

There are a few different types of leather seat available, with higher-spec models getting perforated material to allow for ventilation on a hot day. Heated seats are available too, with a memory function to allow multiple drivers to get comfortable more quickly.

Towing capacity is 2,000kg for braked trailers or 750kg for unbraked trailers.

The RX placed a brilliant 3rd out of 75 cars in our latest Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, continuing the model's strong tradition of excellent finishes. It should prove to be a very reliable and easy to live with SUV, as Lexus won the manufacturer ratings outright, too.

The RX is packed with safety equipment, with adaptive cruise control, 10 airbags, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, sign recognition, a tiredness alert and a 360-degree parking camera system.

It also features a pre-crash safety system - this uses a front-mounted camera and a radar to detect pedestrians and other vehicles. If the computer calculates a collision is about to happen then extra braking force is applied when you press the brakes. It can also automatically brake if the driver is too slow.