Should You Buy A Lexus RX 500h F SPORT Or A Luxury EV

Many higher income Malaysians have been rushing to get a luxury electric vehicle in their garage simply because they are ALL duty free right now until December 2024.  There has been NO desire to ‘green’ with any of these buyers as luxury electric vehicles are not going to reduce carbon emissions as the large battery packs powering them are being charged regularly by fossil fuel generators.

So, lets understand this better. Its duty free price is the ONLY selling factor and we now have a premium SUV that is hybrid powered and priced very close to most of the duty free electric SUV’s.

Meet the all new Lexus RX 500h which comes with a selling price that includes Malaysian import duties as it is NOT an electric vehicle.

Meanwhile, we wonder when will the all electric version RZ 450e will be launched in Malaysia to take advantage of the duty free status for electric vehicles which ends officially in December 2024.

Why? Well, this RX 500h has a hybrid powertrain which means there is a still import duties on it and this is why its selling price is not competitive with its full electric rivals from Europe.

The immediate rivals start with the hot selling BMW iX variants like the iX xDrive40 which is priced at RM419k and delivers a maximum output of more than 500hp. This is enough to power the BMW iX from 0 to 100 km/h in under 5.0 seconds.

Meanwhile, the recently launched iX xDrive50 M Sport (pictured above) which is priced at RM546k combines fully electric driving pleasure, sportiness, complemented by a long range and outstanding efficiency. This all electric SAV has an output of 523hp, accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in only 4.6 seconds.

Then there is the Mercedes EQC 400 4MATIC (pictured below) which carries a price tag of RM390k and puts out 408hp and a neck-breaking 760Nm, which allows the SUV to reach a top speed of 180km/h and goes from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.1 seconds. The battery is also capable of a WLTP range of 437km and a WLTP electrical consumption rate of up to 21.3kWh/100km.

Finally, we have the all electric Audi Q8 e-tron performance SUV (pictured below) which was launched in June this year with selling prices from just RM369,000 to RM475,790. From launch date there has been more than 400 bookings in hand and rising and with the Q8 S line 55 quattro delivering a high 664Nm of torque with 408PS being the best seller.

Why? Well it will accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds and delivers a possible driving range of up to 582 kilometers.

So, with this all new 2023 model Lexus RX 500h F SPORT, you get a new hybrid electric system consisting of a high- torque 2.4-litre turbo petrol fed engine paired with an electric motor which means no need to find a battery charging station and wait. Just fuel up with petrol and drive across country without any battery range worry.

You will still be sipping fuel as the engine is very efficient and paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, delivers a total output of 202 kW of power and 460 Nm of torque.

This translates to a standstill to 100km/h acceleration time of just 5.9 seconds. Which is only a smidgen slower than the Q8, just 0.8 seconds slower than the Mercedes EQC and about 0.9 seconds slower than the BMW iX.

So, the final decision is yours and you can decide between the full electric Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX range or the Mercedes EQC if you want to go full emissions free, or just look at the latest Lexus RX 500h F SPORT for lower emissions, good power delivery and worry free (no need to look for battery charging stations as there is a petrol fed engine) motoring across the country with Lexus high standards of reliability and after sales network.