Welcome to the fourth generation of the Lexus RX luxury SUV, one of the best cars on the British roads.

Take the hybrid model to the German autobahns and drive it at 120mph – almost to its limit - and I can guarantee you will not find a safer car anywhere. You really do feel comfortable.

So if you feel safe at 120mph then imagine how you find how you feel at 70mph. You could almost drive with your eyes closed, just joking.

The new RX has improved over the older model in practically every way. But isn’t that the way when a car is improved.

It’s faster, more efficient and even more luxurious but coming in at almost £60,000 you want everything to be practically perfect. And it is.

It is fabulously comfortable and probably the perfect SUV. The Germany marques are equally as good but perhaps the Lexus just edges the competition in what is a SUV market which gets bigger by the year.

Lexus decided their latest RX would be a bit smarter than the older version so the new model is more aggressive looking, a much better interior and an improved engine.

The 3.5 litre V6 hybrid has been improved giving 308bhp and the electric CVT four wheel drive gives you 0-62mph in under eight seconds and more than 50 miles to the gallon at 127g/km.

The RX is available with a choice of turbocharged petrol or V6 hybrid powerplants.

The hybrid is a delight to drive and the powerful electric motor allows you to pull away in total silence.

And when I was held up in a traffic jam in the previous model I was able to drive for three miles miles on electric power alone.

So this means you just toddle around town using electricity alone and while the car might look a bit like a hippo it doesn’t feel too cumbersome, plus the steering is a delight.

The interior is even better than the last model with leather practically everywhere and the widescreen nav sav is excellent. Just spend an hour to find your way around the various systems which are on offer. Both fun and confusing until you sort it out.

Needless to say there’s a mass of kit including a heated steering wheel to keep your little hands warm in the winter. Please.

All knobs and switches are all properly laid out and the seats are really comfortable giving plenty of support. They can be adjusted in numerous ways. The steering wheel is also electrically adjustable.

At high speeds on the big roads you feel safe and n rural roads it is all plain sailing

The more powerful V6 petrol engine makes it feel even better than before and its hard to believe that you’re behind the wheel of a car of around two tonnes in weight.

Even at speeds of around 80mph the car is pretty quiet with hardly any wind noise.

The vehicle has plenty of equipment including even a heated steering wheel, LED headlamps and a top of the range Mark Levinson stereo.

When you are driving out an about the car is a sheer delight and other motorists do intend to look with a bit of jealousy because this is the sort of car which inspires envy.