Design and suspension of two-door coupe have been tweaked as part of mid-life update.
The head lights appear larger…
That’s because they’re now a one-piece design rather than two separate bits. The rear lights have also been restyled to look bigger.
Other exterior changes for the facelifted Lexus RC include new bumpers, side-view mirrors and 19in wheels inspired by those used on the larger LC coupe.
Lexus says it has upgraded the materials in the cabin for a higher quality feel, while the knee pads up front have been raised for better occupant comfort.
Toyota’s upscale nameplate has also used this mid-life revision to incorporate some changes to the chassis in a bid to improve ride and handling.
The suspension sees stiffer bushings and new dampers. As well, Lexus says the more aero-friendly mirrors and air ducts in the rear bumper aid for better road-holding.
Is the engine lineup still the same?
Lexus hasn’t mentioned anything about this yet, but it will announce full specification at the RC’s world debut at next month’s Paris motor show.
Currently, the RC is available in petrol-turbo form badged RC300 (previously known as RC200t).
Other variances that haven’t been sold in Thailand include the hybrid-powered RC300h, V6-propelled RC350 and V8-armed RC F.
The pre-facelift RC300, complete with the F Sport look, asked for 5.665 million baht with that 245hp 2.0-litre engine and eight-speed automatic transmission driving just the rear wheels.
Will the facelifted model be cheaper in price?
The high price of the RC300 has been the biggest letdown of it in Thai showrooms because rivals like the Audi A5, BMW 4 Series Coupe and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe can all be had for less than four million baht.
Blimey, even the E-Class Coupe from a class above goes for no more than 4.5 million baht in E200 spec.
Should the Thai Lexus office wish to make the RC cheaper in price, it could be looking at the hybrid model which can lower excise tax from 30% down to 16%.
As we once found out during a test drive, the RC300 couldn’t really match the performance of the similarly powered A5 Coupe 45 TFSI and 430i Coupe.
As well, the smooth-running hybrid might prove to be more suitable for the RC’s easygoing road manners.
