THE Lexus RX series (or famously known as the Toyota Harrier here in Malaysia) started life as the "Sport Luxury Vehicle Concept", which was first shown at the Chicago Auto Show in 1997; later that year, it went on sale in Japan as the Toyota Harrier. The RX 300 went on sale in North America a few months later. Using the underpinnings of the popular Toyota Camry, the 1st RX made it the brand's first crossover SUV, and were badged as a RX 300 and used Toyota's 3.0-litre V6 engine with a four-speed automatic gearbox, with either front- or allwheel drive system. A second-generation RX arrived in 2004, with new styling inside and out, a new powertrain (a 3.3 litre V6 and five-speed automatic transmission) and a new name (RX 330) to reflect the larger displacement engine. This new model was built at Toyota's plant in Cambridge, Ontario and also its factory in Japan for the growing Asia Pacific market.