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The 2013 Lexus RX is refreshed and offers a host of new upgrades in relation to the 2012 model. The five-seat RX has long been Lexus’ best-selling model in the U.S. The RX is offered in two different trims: the RX 350 and the RX 450h (hybrid model). All-wheel drive is an optional feature in both trims.

In many parts, the model almost defines the midsize luxury crossover class. The changes for 2013 should help give reasons for buyers to choose this model over its competitors such as the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLK350, Cadillac SRX, and Volkswagen Touareg. The all-new 2013 Acura RDX should also be a much more formidable foe.

The most noticeable change for the RX for 2013 is the new front fascia. The model has a splindle grille seen in another Lexus SUV, the LX 570, and new LED running lamps. Lexus is also offering a new RX F Sport model for 2013, which has darker 19-inch wheels, a bolder front end, and smoked out headlamps and tail lamps.

Interior Changes & New Exterior Paint Colors

The RX’s interior is updated for 2013, with a new instrumental panel cluster, a new steering wheel, and new Ebony Bird’s-Eye Maple wood trim. Buyers seeking more luxury can opt for the excellent Mark Levinson premium audio system, a Saddle Leather interior, a HDD navigation unit, and the Lexus Enform system.

The RX is offered in four-new exterior paint colors for 2013. They are: Cerulean Blue Metallic, Claret Mica, Deep Seat Mica Fire Agate Pearl, and Matador Red Mica

Engines & Fuel Economy

One area where 2013 RX change isn’t occurring is in the engines. The RX 350 will continue to offer the 270 horsepower V6 and the RX 450h (the hybrid model) will continue to offer a 295 horsepower electronically assisted V6. Lexus claims V8 level performance with the RX 450h but with stellar fuel economy.

The 2013 RX 450h fuel economy is rated at 32-mpg city and 29-mpg highway (30-mpg combined), making it one of the most fuel-efficient SUVs on the road. With all-wheel drive, fuel economy drops only slightly to 29-mpg combined. The 2012 front-wheel drive RX 350 has a fuel economy rating of 18-mpg city and 25-mpg highway and features a standard six-speed automatic transmission.

RX 350 Rear View

No 7-Seat Lexus Crossover

It is surprising that Lexus has not developed a seven-seat crossover to compete with models such as the Audi Q7, Volvo XC90, and Acura MDX. The all-new 2013 Infiniti JX fills this void for the other Japanese luxury nameplate. Consumers want the passenger carrying capabilty and utility of a three-row and as fuel economy improves, these models offer few disadvantages to a five-seat model.

Toyota and Lexus have been playing it safe for several years. The 2013 RX 350 changes are only modest. The company will need to make more bold changes and improvements to their models in the coming years to stay relevant and successfully compete across their product lineups.

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admin | Luxury SUVs | 03 19th, 2012 | No Comments »

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is on sale now. The compact crossover is a big model for Mazda, so big in fact that it is replacing two other Mazda models. It was already known that the ford-sourced Mazda Tribute was being discontinued, but now it has been confirmed that the Mazda CX-7 will be discontinued after 2012.

A Sub-Par Crossover

The CX-7, a mid-size crossover, has been a sub-par offering from Mazda since it debuted in 2007. It has received nowhere near the number of the accolades its larger sibling the Mazda CX-9 has received. The 2012 CX-7 offers a 244 horsepower turbo-charged four-cylinder engine with seating for five but offers poor fuel economy and below average cargo room. In fact, the CX-5 has more cargo room than the CX-7 and is rated at 35-highway with front-wheel drive compared to 24-mpg for the CX-7.

The CX-7’s fuel economy with the turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive (AWD) is rated at a poor 17-mpg city and 21-mpg highway. Even the much larger CX-9 AWD gets 22-mpg highway. For the 2010 model year, Mazda began offering its more fuel-efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the CX-7. Models with this engine and front-wheel drive are rated at 20-mpg city and 27-mpg highway, which still lags nearly all its competitors. For example, the 2012 Chevy Equinox is rated at 32-mpg with front-wheel drive.

A Superior Successor

While the model offers a zoom-zoom driving experience and a sporty appearance, it otherwise has little practicality relative to its competitors. The model was a bit of a tweener lacking the panache and styling of a model like the Nissan Murano but lacking the fuel economy and cargo capacity of models like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The model’s curvy shape cut into it’s hauling abilities.

Thus, the arrival of the CX-5 is not really expanding Mazda’s SUV lineup. It’s more of a replacement, and a very good one at that. Mazda lacks a fuel-efficient V6 or turbocharged four-cylinder engine to allow the CX-7 to compete in the midsize five-passenger crossover class against models such as the aforementioned Murano and Ford Edge.

Mazda has stated that while the CX-7 will be discontinued and phased out at the end of the 2012 model year, the model will continue to be sold in overseas markets. The CX-7 is assembled in Hiroshima, Japan.

Fuel Efficient Engines are a Must

The death of the CX-7 in America is another example of the importance of fuel efficiency for automakers. The CX-7’s turbocharged four cylinder engine was similar to Acura’s turbocharged four found in the Acura RDX from 2007 to 2012. The 2013 RDX is being reborn ditching the inefficient turbo four and replacing it with a more efficient V6 engine.

New turbocharged four-cylinder engines such as what is seen in the Kia Sportage SX, Ford Explorer with EcoBoost, Land Rover Evoque, and forthcoming 2013 BMW X3 are much more fuel-efficient and are making an impact in the marketplace.

What did you think of the CX-7? Let us know by voting in the poll below or keep the conversation going by leaving a comment.

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admin | Midsize SUVs | 03 12th, 2012 | 1 Comment »

The luxury SUV market continues to heat up. A market niche once owned by Range Rover is becoming mainstream. The success of the Porsche Cayenne, which among its awards is the Motor Trend 2011 SUV of the Year, and other models such as the BMW X5, have helped spur on other automakers and brands to introduce their own models, bringing forth new vehicle segments – ultra-performance and ultra-luxury SUVs.

SUVs Going Upscale

NewSUV.org previously previewed the forthcoming Maserati SUV, which will be known as the Kubang. There is also talk that Jaguar and Lamborghini also have models in the works. In fact, Lamborghini is unveiling its SUV concept at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, which highlights the importance of the market for the Italian automaker.

Now British automaker Bentley has unveiled one of their own. A Bentley SUV, a concept called the EXP 9 F made its debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Volkswagen owns both Bentley and Lamborghini and the two models are expected to share parts. Watch the Bentley SUV’s debut below:

Serious Luxury, Serious Power

The Bentley SUV concept will be powered by the same 6.0-liter 553 horsepower twin-turbo charged Bentley Continental. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and hybrid engines are being considered for the model.

The model also inherits the company’s styling cues, albeit in a much larger form and will sport 23” wheels. The EXP 9 F has three different driving modes: Comfort, Sport, and Off-Road, as an SUV costing over $200,000 will certainly be driven off-road.

Bentley will measure public reaction to the luxury all-wheel drive concept and determine whether or not to add an SUV model to its product lineup. The intent of the model is to blend the power, advanced technology, and hand crafted luxury of a Bentley with the space and versatility of an SUV.

An Ultra-Luxury SUV

photo credit: M 93

The concept uses Bentley traditional handcrafted elements such as leather, wood, and polished materials. But this is not Grandpa’s SUV. The concept sports a bold appearance with a matrix grille and twin exhaust tailpipes. For the ultimate floor mat, the Bentley SUV’s are made of silk wool.

The EXP 9 F has a 4+1 seating arrangement with a rear armrest cooling compartment for champagne and glasses. The rear seats recline and have generous legroom. When not in use, the power rear seats can be moved forward for more rear cargo room.

Bentley will closely monitor customer and public reaction to its Bentley SUV concept. Based on its debut, this model needs a lot of work to meet the type of styling Bentley customers expect. A decision on whether or not to move into production will likely be made soon. If produced, the Bentley SUV’s release date would be no earlier than 2014.

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admin | Luxury SUVs | 03 7th, 2012 | No Comments »

Consumer Reports has released its top car picks for 2012. The magazine gave out “best-in-class” awards in 10 different vehicle categories but only two SUV classes: small SUV and family SUV.

Toyota has bounced back from its recall troubles in recent years to be the automaker the most “recommended” vehicles. CR awarded five Toyota models as best in class, with two SUV models.

Top 2012 SUV Picks

Consumer Reports’ Top SUVs for 2012 in their respective classes are:

- Toyota RAV4 (small SUV)
- Toyota Highlander (family SUV)

photo credit: quasireversible

CR’s evaluation process is based on testing of models on handling, braking, safety, reliability, fuel economy, comfort, and convenience. The magazine puts on over 6,600 miles on each model tested in the process. To be a top must score highly in the above factors and perform “well” on crash tests.

CR’s evaluation process is different than others in the automotive press, as CR buys vehicle models anonymously from dealers, instead of having handpicked models furnished by automakers.

2012 Toyota RAV4

This top 2012 SUV pick in the small class is a bit of a surprise. The RAV4 was last significantly revised in 2006. CR noted that the four-cylinder RAV4 with a 2.5-liter 179 horsepower engine delivered 23-mpg combined, near the top of the class. The V6 RAV4 offers 268 horsepower in a compact SUV with only 1 combined mpg less than the four-cylinder models.

The RAV4 also was recently named one of most reliable used SUVs of 2009 by J.D. Power and Associates. The model needs top needs these types of accolades to stay relevant as the 2012 CR-V was significantly revised for 2012 and the all-new 2013 Mazda CX-5 and new Ford Escape debut. The RAV4 also has best in class cargo space in the compact SUV class.

2012 Toyota Highlander

photo credit: Andy on Flickr

The Highlander has similarly received few changes since 2008. CR lauded the model’s refined comfortable, and quiet ride. The Highlander Hybrid tops all SUVs in fuel economy with 27 mpg combined. However, the Hybrid is expensive, with a starting price of $38,578.

The Mazda CX-9 has garnered more support historically as a top family SUV, winning the Motor Trend 2008 SUV of the Award. However, the Highlander is among the safest 2012 SUVs, according to the IIHS. For complete details on Consumer Reports’ top SUVs of 2012 and other models according to CR, check out ConsumerReports.org or the March 2012 edition of the magazine.

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admin | Industry News | 03 5th, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Here at NewSUV.org we appreciate our readers. We have been blogging on new SUV models and industry news for more than 2 years and have seen tremendous growth. The industry has changed a lot and the quality, number of models and features has grown significantly in recent years. There is a lot to keep up with.

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NewSUV.org is committed to producing quality content and providing our readers with the great information they expect whether it is to keep up on SUV models or guidance in the buying process. We offer a wealth of information and you can search our site to find out more about the model(s) you are interested in.

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About Jason Nelson

I am the principal at Ascent Internet, an SEO company that helps companies connect to customers through great content, design, links, ads, and much more. Connect with me at Google+

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admin | Industry News | 03 1st, 2012 | No Comments »