Lexus LX 450d vs Toyota Land Cruiser - Rs 1 Crore Premium Justified?

Toyota's luxury arm has launched its flagship SUV, the Lexus LX 450d, very recently in India. Priced at Rs 2.32 Crore, ex-showroom Delhi, the LX 450d is almost Rs 1 Crore more expensive than the Toyota Land Cruiser that it is based on. The Toyota Land Cruiser is a comfortable, full-sized, feature-loaded SUV that can tackle all sorts of terrain while keeping the occupants comfortable - and at first glance, it seems like the Lexus without the truckload of bling. So what exactly are you getting for the money you pay? 

Let's check out how different (or same) the Lexus LX 450d and Toyota Land Cruiser are when compared to each other.

Dimensions

While the LX 450d and Land Cruiser share everything from the ground up, the design changes made to the Lexus have resulted in a change of dimensions. The Lexus signature design elements such as the Spindle-grille at the front and redesigned front and rear bumpers have resulted in an increase in overall length of 13cm. This affects the off-road ability of the LX, even though it has the same capable drive system as the Land Cruiser.

Exterior Features

This is definitely one place where the LX 450d feels different from the Land Cruiser. While the Land Cruiser is all about brawniness, the LX looks more glitzy. In terms of exterior features, the LX gets all-LED headlamps, illuminated door handles and ORVMs which automatically tilt when reversing.

The spindle grille, redesigned engine cover, side-steps, different rear-quarter glass panel, car-like LED tail-lamps, redesigned rear windshield etc. mean that there are few body panels shared between the two.

Interior Features

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Here's where it becomes most obvious about how much effort has been put in to make the LX 450d more luxurious than the Land Cruiser. While the LX is only offered with 5 seats as compared to the 7 seats on the LC, it gets a comprehensively redesigned interior. Almost every panel inside has been redesigned, there is expensive leather or layered wood trim everywhere. The infotainment screen is bigger and gets a nice looking touch-input controller on the centre console. The LX has a sporty side, with a circular controller to set driving modes and paddle-shifters behind the steering wheel. The rear passengers get individual screens for individual entertainment and a bigger centre armrest with buttons for the infotainment .and 4-zone climate control system. 

The big highlight here is the 19-speaker, Mark Levinson speaker system - which should trump the 14-speaker JBL system on the Land Cruiser.

Engine and Transmission

The Lexus LX 450d and Land Cruiser share the same 4.5-litre, turbocharged V8 diesel powerplant. The power and torque figures are the same, the transmission is the same and the weight is similar. The LX is offered with driving modes (Normal, Eco, Comfort, Sports S, Sport S+ and Custom), along with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel for a sportier feel.

Drive System

While both the SUVs are offered with all-time AWD system with a central locking differential, 4-low mode, rock crawl mode etc, the Lexus also gets a self-leveling adaptive suspension. While this should improve off-road ability, the 13cm increase in length reduces the approach and departure angles of the Lexus as compared to the Land Cruiser, taking away few points from its adaptive suspension advantage. 

Safety

There is one aspect where both the LX 450d and Land Cruiser are absolutely the same - it is safety. It is a bit weird that the LX has airbags for the third-row seats, even though it does have third-row seats!

So, what exactly are you paying almost Rs 1 Crore more for? Does the redesigned body panels, comfort-enhancing features, luxurious fittings etc. actually make this that much more worthy? If the Toyota brand seems too utilitarian to you, yes. The rest of that big increase in the price is just down to the fact that a small increase in base price is multiplied like crazy due to the import taxes on cars in India - the LX 450d is brought in as a CBU.

We will be driving the Lexus LX 450d soon, stay tuned to ZigWheels for a real-world review of how it feels.