The bestselling RX series of Luxury Sports Utility vehicles was first seen as a Lexus concept vehicle in 1997. It was initially launched in December 1997 in Japan as the Toyota Harrier and saw its North America debut, as the RX300 a few months later. It featured a 240hp V6 Configuration.
Toyota/Lexus were among the first to launch a crossover SUV, a vehicle that offered the features of an SUV while offering car-like driving dynamics. The RX series is aimed at combining the functional characteristics of a SUV with the ride and features of a luxury sedan. The RX designation signifies its place in the Lexus SUV lineup along with the larger GX and LX SUVs.
After the North American launch, the RX300 was introduced in other markets in Asia, and Europe. 370,000 RX300s were sold in the first five years alone. The RX300 was replaced by the RX330, which was powered by a 3.3 liter Configuration in 2003. A hybrid version, the Lexus 400h was introduced in 2005, combining the 3.3 liter gasoline Configuration with two Nickel Magnesium Hydride powered electric motors, becoming the first Luxury SUV to offer hybrid power. The gasoline powered RX330 was replaced in 2007 by the 3.5 liter RX350 in 2007.
