The all-new Lexus LX has arrived and it’s about time! The previous LX has just been discontinued after 14 years of production. That car went through two facelifts, one being a subtle one in 2011 and another being a complete refresh in 2015. The LX was a full-on Range Rover, Mercedes GLS and Caddilac Escalade rival, however, these are cars that have all been updated with new generations throughout the previous LX’s lifetime.
The new Lexus LX is based on the new Toyota Land Cruiser (which won’t be sold in the US or Canada), which was launched earlier this year. That’s a very nice car, but I do prefer the looks of the previous Land Cruiser generation. The latest LX like every previous LX generation is essentially a leather-lined Land Crusier with different alloys and bumpers.
The exterior design of the LX is very modern indeed. The grille at the front is somehow bigger than the one on the previous generation car. The F-Sport model looks very aggressive since the grille is finished in dark chrome and the grille itself has a triangular honeycomb design to it. However, the standard model has vertical bars instead of the honeycomb, which makes it look horrible.
The side profile of the new LX is near enough the same as the old one, except the rear window is smaller which in my opinion makes the whole car looks. lot smaller. The creases and the lines do make the car look a lot chunkier and wider though. The rear of the car incorporates a new taillight which stretches across the rear of the car and to me the rear end looks slightly more curved. Finally, the most noticeable change at the back is the omission of a Lexus badge, which has been replaced by the typography “Lexus.”
The whole design as mentioned earlier is modern. However, in no way shape or form is this car handsome. I just feel that the proportions are a tad off and that the car looks a hell of a lot smaller than it is. That rear window gives me Mazda CX-5 vibes if I am being brutally honest, and I know this sounds stupid but just that small detail is putting me off the whole car. The BMW X7 and the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer look way better.
So that’s the first impressions and a review of the design done. So what about everything ng else? well, let’s find out.
picture via: motor1.com
No More V8’s As of Yet (But It’s Not a Bad Thing).
Currently, the only two engines you can have on the new Lexus LX are either a 3.4 liter V6 twin-turbo petrol or a 3.3 liter twin-turbo diesel. The petrol car pushes out 409hp whilst the diesel car pushes out 309hp. That isn’t too bad, but this is one heavy car weighing in at almost 3 tonnes. Therefore, torque needs to be high, otherwise, this will be a very frustrating car indeed. The petrol car has 479 lb-ft of torque which isn’t too bad at all. The figures for the diesel have not been launched as of yet.
In the previous generation LX, Lexus mostly offered only V8 engines in both petrol and diesel form. The most powerful previous-generation model in North America pushed out 383hp and 403 lb-ft of torque, which is a lot less than the new twin-turbo V6. Maybe a reduction in displacement isn’t too bad at all considering the smaller engine is so much more powerful.
The V6 will be slightly more economical but don’t expect anything crazy since this is a huge car. Plus it will also emit fewer carbons, though again don’t expect anything crazy.
The large V8 though was a very smooth engine. What will this new V6 twin-turbo be like? Well, Lexus does use the same engine in their other cars including the LS500, and that’s a very smooth car indeed. However, that’s a sedan car which is a heck of a lot lighter than an SUV. Well, this same engine is also used in the Tundra pickup, and it works just fine in that.
picture via: motorauthroity.com
The Interior Is Confusing.
picture via topseed.com
The LX has always had a dated interior since, and this new model is no exception there. The build quality will be great since it’s a Lexus but the interior design is woeful. The bottom half of the interior looks as if it has been dragged from a Lincoln from 5 or 6 years ago and the top of it looks as if they’ve dragged the screen from the LS600 and just placed it on top of the dash.
I don’t like it whatsoever which is a shame because the leather finish looks quite nice. I actually do believe that the interior on the cheaper Land Cruiser is so much better organized and overall so much more modern.
In my opinion, this is not an interior fit for a $100,000 car. If you look at what GM is doing, Jeep, Lincoln, BMW, Mercedes, Range Rover, etc, it’s just so much better. That was always the issue with the LX, in that the interior design has always never been as good as its rivals.
Technology-wise, the interior includes dual screens, overhead vents, a rear-seat entertainment system, and reading lights all as standard. Nothing crazy like its German competitors but I guess it will do. There seem to be quite a few buttons and knobs too which in this day and age seems a tad odd. However, these just make using the car so much easier.
To Conclude.
picture via: Jalponik.com
The LX is a car that I have always liked. I know that it falls short of its competitors in pretty much every category, but I like the fact that it is different from the rest and it is a properly good off-roader. It provides the benefits of a Range Rover on-road and off-road without being hopelessly unreliable.
However, this new model I just cannot make any excuses for it. I think the build quality is great, and that the exterior design is very modern. However, the interior design lets down this car massively plus that rear window really bugs me. The LX looks a little softer now than it used to which is a shame. Of course, in F-Sport specification things do improve massively but the standard car just looks a little weak.
Would I buy one? No chance. There are far better cars on the market for the same price of this which are also reliable and pretty good off-road.