Road test: Lexus RC 300h Luxury

Think Lexus and you don’t invariably think “handsome”, even with the company’s LFA supercar. But now we have the new RC, which, to me, is the best-looking car Lexus has ever produced.

It’s a two-door coupé with swooping, light-reflecting lines and nice aesthetic touches, such as dummy grills behind the rear wheel arches and triple LED headlamps. It does have four seats but frankly you couldn’t fit a stick of celery in the back, and it is up against such cars as the Audi A5, Mercedes C250 AMG and BMW 4 Series.

What it does have is a huge boot, making it ideal for weekends away, and this could be its forte. This is not a Tarmac-shredding road rocket but a civilised, reasonably quick grand tourer for two people.

It is quiet and smooth and could cover a lot of miles without straining the occupants — a GT in the original sense. There are two versions, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid called the RC300h and a twin-scroll turbocharged two-litre petrol called the RC200t, which is the faster option.

Prices range from £34,495 to £40,495, power is from 141 to 241bhp and fuel consumption is 38.7 to 57.6mpg for the hybrid. The cabin is nicely designed and snug, spoiled only by some hard plastic surfaces, and the leather seats are elegant, comfortable and, if required, colourful.

Cars of this sort don’t sell in large numbers because they are less practical than saloons, so they have to rely on their looks to find buyers.

When it comes to a beauty contest, the Lexus RC should give the competition a real run for its money.

Lexus RC 300h Luxury
Top speed: 118mph; MPG: 57.6;
CO2: 113g/km; 
Price: £34,995