One of the most rugged and hard working machines on sale gets an ultra luxurious makeover that needs to be seen to be believed.
The limousine could soon take you from the opera to the outback.
Lexus has confirmed it will offer a four-seat version of its Toyota LandCruiser-based LX off-roader when it arrives in Australia next year.
And it’s limo drivers the luxury brand is targeting with the radical addition to the four-wheel drive family.
The all-new LX is based on the recently-launched 300-Series LandCruiser but gets a lot more chrome and a huge Lexus grille.
Inside, too, Lexus has stepped up the luxury with lashings of leather and more up-market finishes than you get in the Toyota.
Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson confirmed Australia would get a four-seat version of the new LX to sit above the five- and seven-seat models that will be pitched more to families.
He sees the four-seater – with its rear captain’s chairs and sizeable rear arm rest – as appealing to the limousine market that is increasingly open to SUVs.
The four-seat LX gets all the luxury of the Lexus LS limousine, including massaging and reclining rear seats.
“I think there’s going to be a market for the chauffeur market,” said Thompson of the four-seat LX. “It’s the perfect size as well.”
Crucially, whereas most luxury SUVs are designed for light gravel tracks or snow, the LX has the DNA of a LandCruiser, so has mud, rocks and sand in its playbook.
Like the rival Range Rover, it’s unlikely many owners will head to the outback in an LX – at least while the car is new – but it should at least have the ability should wealthy owners get adventurous.
Lexus hasn’t confirmed details or pricing for Australia but given the LandCruiser increased in price by at least 10 per cent it’s safe to assume the LX will also head north.
The current LX is priced from $137,513 to $168,644. Given the four-seat model will be a new range-topped there’s every chance it could surge past $200K.
Lexus hasn’t confirmed whether both diesel and petrol will be offered in the new model locally.
However, the company has registered both the LX600 name and LX500d locally, suggesting we could get both.
The LX600 is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with 305kW and 650Nm while the LX500d gets the same 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel used in the new LandCruiser.
The revelation of the new four-seat Lexus LX comes as the company confirmed it would finally match parent company Toyota with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.
Lexus also confirmed it would bring the NX450h+ as the brand’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle, due in 2022.
The NX450h+ pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with two electric motors for a 0-100km/h time of 6.3 seconds. It can also drive on electricity alone for about 70km.
Originally published as New Lexus LX to have four seat variant
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