The two young colleagues I found prowling around the Lexus RX in the office car park did not seem overly keen to hear about the environmentally-friendly aspects of this larger-than-life luxury crossover – but were clearly impressed by its looks.
"It's a tank," said one. "It looks like the Batmobile," said the other. "If I touch it, will it electrocute me?"
Delivering lethal doses of power to bad guys is not yet on the Lexus list of optional accessories, but electricity plays a vital part in both the fuel consumption and emissions story of this heavyweight hybrid. Powered by a mighty 308 horsepower power plant combining a 3.5-litre direct injection V6 petrol engine and electric motor, the RX450h is a dramatically-styled large sports utility vehicle that combines massive off-road presence with the sumptuous quality you would expect from a Lexus saloon.
That quality is perhaps encapsulated as neatly in the fact that the electric windows alone are dual-speed, so as you close them the operating speed slows just before they shut – to reduce noise. It is that level of attention to detail that has made the all-wheel-drive RX the best-selling Lexus worldwide since the model first appeared 18 years ago.
Whisper quiet on the move, changes to the RX include redirection of the wind flow around the door mirrors, to cut wind noise and a urethane shielding plate inside the wings that helps prevent engine noise from entering the cabin.
The fourth generation model, with its mixture of sharp creases and curves, powerful front end, rear L-shaped LED light clusters and blacked-out gloss pillars, makes for an altogether more distinctive vehicle.
Hop aboard and you are in a cocoon of heated and ventilated leather, serenaded by a 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system and surrounded by about as much technology as has ever been packed into a car.
Bang up to date with the likes of a wireless smartphone charger, Lexus is even claiming a world-first with, can you believe it, a cupholder, that adjusts in depth according to whether you are using a cup, can, or a taller drinks bottle.
The dashboard is dominated by a whopping central 12.3-inch dashboard monitor. The redesigned instrument cluster has large, easy-to-read gauges, and the illumination changes colour according to the drive mode selected – blue for eco and normal and red for sport s and sport s+.
The new-look instrument panel also has the world’s largest colour head-up display which projects information, including speed limits, pedestrian and safety warnings and cruise control status, at the base of the windscreen in the driver’s eyeline.
A highlight of the technology is a safety system that uses cameras and radar to detect vehicles and pedestrians on the road ahead. If it calculates a risk of a collision, it automatically warns the driver and adds extra braking. The same radar unit is used to manage the cruise control system that helps keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
The package also includes lane departure alert and lane-keeping assist, which recognise when the car is moving from its lane and helps you steer the vehicle safely back. This is accompanied by vibrations on the steering wheel and a quirky warning sound that is almost as amusing as it is impossible to ignore. The first time it went off, my wife said: "Was that a crow? No it was a duck."
A battery of other sensors help with parking and monitoring the blind spot and give a warning if traffic or people approach from either side when reversing out of a parking space.
Styling on the F Sport test model was even more extreme, with special front and rear bumpers, black door mirror housings and huge 20-inch alloy wheels.
Painted black, the car would make a great addition to any Gotham City street scene. As for an anti-theft system that delivers a healthy electric shock to a would-be thief. Hmm, one for the R&D department...


Auto facts
Model: Lexus RX450h F Sport
Price: £52,995
Insurance group: 41E
Fuel consumption (Combined): 51.4mpg
Top speed: 124mph
Length: 489cm/192.5in
Width: 189.5cm/74.6in
Luggage capacity: 16 cu ft
Fuel tank capacity: 14.3 gallons/65 litres
CO2 emissions: 127g/km
Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles