Lexus RX XU30 (second generation)

The second generation Lexus RX, XU30, was developed from 1999 under chief engineer Yukihiro Okane. Design work began under Makoto Oshima and continued into 2000, when a concept design by Hiroshi Sukuki was approved, and by early 2001 the executive board had approved the final production design. The first prototypes were tested in 2002. Design patents were filed on 1 April 2002 at the Japanese Patent Office and on 21 April 2003 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The XU30 was previewed in January 2003 at the North American International Auto Show. It had a sleeker body than its predecessor, a claimed drag coefficient of 0.35 and new LED tail lamps, and the RX 330 interior featured genuine Golden Bird's Eye Maple or Walnut wood trim.