Can a big 4×4 also be green? Lexus thinks so. The RX400h combines a petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver 269bhp while returning 34.9mpg driving solo. Energy that would otherwise be lost when braking is used to recharge the battery. In heavy traffic, the Lexus sometimes relies solely on electric power and creeps along in eerie silence.
It might do a passable milk-float impression, but when the traffic clears the Lexus can really shift. With a caravan in tow it pulled from 30-60mph in just 9.5 seconds. It took a disappointing length of time to come to a halt, though.
Soft suspension makes the Lexus extremely comfortable at low speeds, but it did the car no favours in our lane-change manoeuvre: the van really started to pull the car around.
The Lexus made up some lost ground with a boot that swallowed all but one item of holiday luggage. However, space for passengers is not so generous; many similarly priced 4x4s offer seven seats, not five.
