2016 Lexus RC 200t First Drive Review

You’ve got to hand it to Lexus. For years it was considered the dependable - if dull as ditchwater - manufacturer you could rely on to over-engineer a car without ever threatening to get you anywhere near something called excitement. The bananas LFA aside, Lexus has pretty much always been the quirky alternative for people who just wanted to be different, but the Japanese manufacturer has signalled an intent to ditch that boring image with some wicked styling in recent years.

That’s particularly evident in this, the Lexus RC, an all-new coupe that’s been on sale for a while in the US, but is now available in the UK. We’ve already seen the RC F, which wooed us as a softcore V8 alternative to the boisterous BMW M4, but this is the more normal version that loses the ‘F’ suffix. Fortunately, just because the V8’s gone and the power output’s been chopped in half, that doesn’t mean the RC has lost any of its aesthetic aggression.

The sensible option is the hybrid 300h model, which is the least expensive way into RC ownership thanks to the £34,995 entry level Luxury spec, and also the most expensive RC available at £40,495 in Premier spec. It packs a 178bhp 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 141bhp electric motor, which combine to make 220bhp. The engine runs on the Toyota/Lexus favourite ‘Atkinson cycle’, which involves an expansion stroke that is longer than the compression stroke, increasing efficiency to the detriment of performance - 0-62mph takes 8.6 seconds, with the top speed just 118mph.

As you’d expect, then, it’s by no means fast, something that isn’t helped by the continuously variable transmission (CVT) that’s whizzing and whirring as you push on. Flappy paddles are fitted, allowing you to ‘change gear’ to add sportiness, but since all it’s doing is adding a slip to the CVT’s belt it feels pointless and achieves nothing. What the CVT does aid is the impressive economy; 58mpg and CO2 emissions of 113g/km make it mighty appealing to those who wish to cruise in style without incurring the running costs of a proper sporty coupe. The downside is that the performance feels a let down given the striking styling.

"Everything about the RC screams lazy performance, from the slow steering to the compliant ride."

The more appealing model for CTzens would be the 200t, a 2.0-litre turbo petrol making a slightly healthier 241bhp and capable of hitting 143mph, which starts at £36,496 for the F Sport trim. More promising is the fact that the CVT is ditched here, replaced by the eight-speed Sports Direct Shift transmission from the RC F. It’s a decent enough unit, though shifts are boringly robotic; particularly in sport mode it’d be nice to have more of a kick or a VAG-like ‘parp’ on upshifts. Instead you’re left with a dull change that feels like an impressive engineering achievement, but doesn’t make kicking into the next gear the event you might hope for.

The RC F was famed for being a bit of a heavyweight in comparison to rivals such as the M4, and likewise the RC is rather portly at around 1700kg. Couple that with the relatively modest power output and it’s no surprise that the coupe’s styling is the only thing that’s sharp about this car. Not that that’s necessarily a criticism; everything about the RC screams lazy performance, from the slow steering to the compliant ride, and the fact you’ll never be pinned to your seat no matter how hard you hoof it.

Instead, this is an eight-tenths kind of car. Chuck it into corners and it won’t hook up immediately, while quick changes of direction require forethought as the body plays catchup to your inputs. When the RC starts to make real sense is when your push on without going mad, finding a smooth rhythm and working with the flow of the road.

The real highlight of this car is its exterior styling. It’s arguably even better looking than the F, which perhaps tries too hard to be extroverted. Here, the angular lines and quirky design flourishes feel more natural. The paint is exquisite, with Lexus spending a lot of time creating deep metallic colours. The red is particularly gorgeous, a silver undercoat helping to make it pop - it might sound like PR babble but when you see it in the metal it really is next level - while the white helps accentuate the bodywork’s creases.

On the inside it’s a touch cramped, but that’s to be expected from a coupe like this - my six-foot frame results in the top of my head being inches from the roofline, which is just low enough to sit in my peripheral vision lending a little extra claustrophobia.

Design wise, the inside is a typical Japanese interior in that it’s not revolutionary but it works in its own functional way. The dashboard struts out towards the passengers, with the centre console nestling below; the only downside being that the satellite navigation system (which has horribly outdated graphics, by the way) is set a little too far back, resulting in the bottom of the screen being partially obscured from my driving position. The matte black plastic centre console is perhaps the only part that breaks the luxury.

If you were hoping that the Lexus RC’s driving dynamics might prove as sharp as its looks, you’re going to be disappointed. The marque has long sat at the top of customer satisfaction surveys thanks to the fact it focuses on frivolity free reliability, and it’s reluctant to risk changing that, however the RC is the beginning of a turn towards a potentially more exciting Lexus.

Having moved its Japanese headquarters away from Toyota, Lexus has had its shackles slowly removed, allowing a little more freedom to explore its inherent quirkiness. The new design language is the first fruit of that, so here’s hoping the engineers are given the same sort of freedom to create products that speak to us on an emotional level without reneging on the reliability enjoyed by its loyal customer base. The Lexus RC is so close to being great, but it’s just a bit too restrained for our liking. The future’s bright, though. If Lexus’ sporty models could inject a little excitement into their dynamics, some fantastic cars could be on the horizon… here’s looking at you, LC 500.