Lexus LX Flagship Luxury SUV Is Back In Its New Avatar With A Steeper Price Tag

• Lexus’ flagship SUV has been launched in a single LX 500d trim.

• Priced at Rs 2.82 crore (ex-showroom)

• Ditches the V8 for a smaller twin-turbo V6 producing 308PS and 700Nm.

• Gets a bucket load of features including dual screens (12.3- and 7-inch), wireless phone charging, heads-up display and more.

Two months post its debut in India, the Lexus LX has been launched in the country sporting a price tag of Rs 2.82 crore. Now that’s just the ex-showroom price, so yeah, you’re gonna be needing deep pockets for this one as its on-road cost will be well over the Rs three-crore mark. For the uninitiated, the LX is basically a more luxurious Toyota Land Cruiser LC300.  

In comparison to the initial launch prices of the previous-generation model, the new LX, which is available in a single LX 500d trim, is nearly Rs 50 lakh more expensive. But to be fair, that price was quoted almost five years ago, so we can’t be fretting over the increased price. And that’s for a good reason as well, because there’s a lot that’s new on the SUV.

Exterior and interior design

We weren’t kidding when we said it's back from the gym. While it hasn’t lost any of its road presence, the SUV has shed nearly 200kgs based on Toyota’s new GA-F body-on-frame platform and it really shows. It looks a lot more sleeker and approachable in comparison, but don’t get us wrong – it is still humongous (still an understatement). The massive 22-inch wheels and Lexus’ huge signature chrome grille really add butchness to the SUV’s styling. 

Not to take anything away from the outgoing model, but the cabin of the new LX is a big step up. Dual displays for the infotainment (12.3-inch) and HVAC controls (seven-inch) make up most of the center console, and in general, the dashboard design is fairly simple, albeit retaining all of its opulence quotient. You also get chunky controls for all the important functions.l

Its list of features includes a heads-up display, fingerprint initiated start-stop button, Mark Levinsen 3D 25-speaker audio system, wireless phone charging, auto-dimming IRVM, front and rear ventilated seats, and a powered tailgate. Safety equipment on board comprises 10 airbags, ABS with EBD, hill-hold assist, and tyre pressure monitoring system. It doesn’t get a full suite of ADAS but there’s rear-cross traffic alert functionality.

Powertrain

The shedding continues beyond the skin of the SUV. The powerhouse has been downsized from a V8 to a smaller but more powerful 3.5-litre, twin-turbo, V6 unit with an output of 308PS and 700Nm (43PS and 50Nm more than before) at its peak, sent to all four wheels using a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The ‘d’ in its moniker conveys that it's a diesel unit, and more details of its mechanicals can be found in our unveil story.

With this new generation, Lexus has refined what was already a really good overall flagship SUV. It's more stylish, powerful, opulent and tech-laden than before. There’s more of everything and that comes at a price tag that’s more than before as well. It goes up against the likes of the Land Rover Range Rover, Bentley Bentayga, and Rolls Royce Cullinan.