Lexus RC coupe - UK specs and prices

The new Lexus RC coupé, the Japanese manufacturer’s rival to the Audi TT, is on sale now priced from £34,995 ahead of first customer deliveries in January 2016.

First seen at last year’s Geneva motor show, the two-door Lexus RC is offered with a choice of two powertrains: the RC 300h is a hybrid with 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, and the RC 200t is the latest model to adopt Lexus’s 241bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Both versions are offered in F Sport and Premier grades, while RC 300h is additionally available in Luxury trim.

The Lexus RC coupé is pitched at a price point between the Audi TT and faster TT S, with the entry-level RC 300h Luxury starting at an on-the-road price of £34,995. By comparison, the 227bhp derivative of the TT starts at £30,000, and the equivalent TT S at £39,000.

The Luxury trim level, available solely on the RC 300h and costing from £34,995, includes 18in alloys, LED headlights, parking sensors, smart entry and push button start, a drive mode select system with Eco, Normal and Sport modes, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, auto-dimming rear-view and door mirrors, cruise control and heated front seats.

Also included is a six-speaker audio system with CD player, DAB, Bluetooth and two USB ports and a seven-inch multimedia screen with a remote touch controller.

F Sport derivatives, which start from £36,496 for the RC 200t F Sport, are equipped with adaptive variable suspension. The RC 200t F Sport itself also has a limited-slip differential and an additional setting on the drive mode select, Sport+, which dials in a more focused chassis set-up.

Cosmetic differences to the base trim include a different iteration of the Lexus spindle grille, multi-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels, deep front and rear bumpers and different LED headlights.

Other F Sport elements include aluminium scuff plates and sports pedals and LFA-style instrument gauges that change appearance according to the drive mode selected. Other key equipment features include rain-sensing windscreen wipers, rear-view camera and lane keeping assist.

The Premier trim starts at £39,495 for the RC 200t. It includes 19in alloys, Lexus’s premium navigation system, a 17-speaker Mark Levinson surround audio system, LED headlights with automatic high beam function, power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with driver’s side memory setting, powered steering wheel adjustment, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, lane keeping assist and a rear-view camera.

The RC F, introduced in late 2014, remains as the high-performance halo variant and is powered by Lexus’s 471bhp 5.0-litre V8 engine.