Lexus just lately unveiled its up to date 2025 LX vary which – aside from gaining some new tech options – can be bolstered by the addition of a brand new hybrid variant often called the LX700h.
Pairing the three.4-litre twin-turbo V6 from the LX600 with an electrical motor that sits between the engine the 10-speed automated transmission, the LX700h’s outputs are bumped as much as 341kW and 790Nm, versus 305kW and 650Nm for the lesser non-hybrid.
Whereas the refreshed LX vary is Australia-bound this yr, the LX700h is but to be confirmed for our market. Even so, we managed to snare a check car within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the place the opulent 4WD SUV simply went on sale.
The LX700h has the identical 700mm most wading depth as different variants – because of a water-resistant casing for the battery – and is fitted with a second starter motor on prime of the common alternator so the automotive can begin its engine independently of the electrical motor if required.
Chassis strengthening measures embody the addition of a 3rd cross-member to help the hybrid battery, in addition to redesigned mounting cushions that connect to the higher physique. These upgrades are claimed to enhance rigidity and cut back vibrations on the street.
WATCH: Paul’s video evaluate of the 2023 Lexus LX600 Extremely Luxurious
Additionally new are strengthened rear engine mounts, together with a revised place for the under-slung spare wheel to accommodate the battery with out compromising the departure angle. As well as, the 12-volt battery strikes from the engine to the rear of the car.
Different enhancements embody a 12.3-inch widescreen digital instrument cluster that replaces the earlier 8.0-inch display (and is out there throughout the revamped LX lineup), an ‘air bladder’ within the entrance seats claimed to scale back fatigue, and a brand new digital gear selector within the hybrid mannequin.
Added security options embody autonomous emergency braking for intersections, and a brand new driver monitoring digicam that watches the motive force’s eyes and may instruct the car to tug itself over on the facet of the street if the motive force is detected to be unresponsive.
How a lot does the Lexus LX700h value?
We examined the Lexus LX700h within the United Arab Emirates, the place the entry-level Signature mannequin is priced from AED590,000 (A$251,950) whereas the flagship LX700h F Sport begins at an eye-watering AED635,000 (A$271,170).
For now, these figures are hypothetical for Australia because the hybrid mannequin is but to be confirmed for our market.
Nevertheless, if the LX700h is finally supplied right here and native pricing is reflective of the LX700h’s UAE costs, it could put the Lexus up towards the likes of the Vary Rover, BMW X7 M60 xDrive, Mercedes-AMG GLS63 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid.
Of those rivals, solely the Vary Rover might lay declare to be a real all-terrainer. Whether or not or not any Rangie house owners truly enterprise past the overwhelmed observe is one other matter.
In Australia, the up to date 2025 Lexus LX vary begins from $158,700 for the LX500d Luxurious, and tops out at $220,950 for the LX600 Extremely Luxurious – we’d anticipate the LX700h to hold a premium over the equal LX600. Learn our full worth and specs story right here.
To see how the Lexus LX traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What’s the Lexus LX700h like on the within?
The leather-lined Lexus LX700h is essentially as per the lesser LX600 inside, and in up to date type it encompasses a absolutely digitised instrument panel that does away with the analogue secondary gauges of the non-hybrid variant.
The LX700h additionally sports activities a Prius-style e-shifter in lieu of the traditional gearshift within the LX600
A 12.3-inch touchscreen mounted atop the dashboard controls a lot of the infotainment capabilities, whereas a 7.0-inch secondary touchscreen that sits beneath it shows principally driving-related knowledge corresponding to trip peak, throttle and brake place and the lateral inclination of the car. This display will also be used to regulate the HVAC settings.
There are bodily buttons and twist knobs to pick drive mode, set trip peak, interact the centre differential, choose low vary and interact Downhill Help/Crawl Management.
The general interface is a little bit of a hotch-potch as there’s far an excessive amount of for the attention to soak up at a look. That mentioned, when you’re acquainted with the car your eyes and mind work out which bits to filter out when not wanted.
The LX700h encompasses a digital overhead mirror somewhat than a traditional reflective unit and, whereas I’m often not a fan of the previous, within the Lexus it capabilities fairly effectively, offering a transparent and unobstructed view of the street behind.
The entrance seats are fantastically comfy and supportive, so my backbone and torso have been none the more serious for put on after a full-day safari that encompassed freeway schlepping, some rock/gravel traversing and gliding up and down sand dunes because the solar was setting.
The second-row seats are heated, cooled, and and are adequately comfy for the 2 window-seat occupants, however the unfortunate sod within the centre pew could have drawn the brief straw as they’d be occupying the area designated for the armrest and the largedriveshaft tunnel eats into their legroom.
There are air-conditioning vents for the rear occupants, two USB-C ports, an influence outlet, map pockets at the back of the entrance seats, and rear shades to cowl the big facet home windows.
As for the third-row seats, they’re extra spacious than is the case with most seven-seaters, however you wouldn’t wish to be cooped up again there for too lengthy as your knees find yourself nearly chest excessive.
Baggage capability is a paltry 204 litres with the third-row seats within the upright place because of the hybrid battery pack consuming into the cargo bay. Even when the rear seats are folded, they sit on prime of the battery pack, so you continue to solely get 878 litres of area.
| Dimensions | Lexus LX – 500d + 600 |
|---|---|
| Size | 5100mm |
| Width | 1990mm |
| Top | 1895mm |
| Wheelbase | 2850mm |
To see how the Lexus LX traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What’s underneath the bonnet?
The LX700h packs a 3.4-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol and 10-speed automated, as per the LX600, however integrates an electrical motor-generator with a clutch between the engine and transmission.
Outputs of 341kW and 790Nm are a helpful bump on the 305kW/650Nm eked out by the LX600, though weight additionally bloats out to 2780kg with the added hybrid componentry (versus 2660kg for the non-hybrid LX600).
As with the LX600, the petrol-electric mannequin is supplied with full-time four-wheel drive system and a low-range switch case. Lexus refers back to the LX700h’s powertrain as a “high-performance parallel hybrid” that gives “the reliability and sturdiness clients anticipate when heading deep into bush or snow”.
The LX700h is the model’s first parallel hybrid to characteristic each an alternator and a starter motor, lowering reliance on the electrical motor. This permits engine ignition unbiased of the electrical motor, with the alternator powering the 12V auxiliary battery.
It additionally permits capabilities like trip peak adjustment and Lively Traction Management 2 (A-TRAC) to proceed to function even when the electrical motor isn’t in use.
Out in the actual world, the hybrid powertrain gels comparatively seamlessly, with the interface between petrol engine and electrical motor calibrated in such a means that you just wouldn’t essentially detect from behind the wheel that there are two separate components offering propulsion.
The place the moment grunt of the electrical motor proves particularly helpful is when crawling over rocks or manoeuvring between tight obstacles because it permits for exact throttle management at low speeds.
The hybrid powertrain additionally improves efficiency out on open tarmac roads, and our seat-of-the pants impression suggests the massive SUV might dispatch the 0-100km/h dash in about 6.0 seconds.
To see how the Lexus LX traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
How does the Lexus LX700h drive?
As per the LX600, the LX700h shares its body-on-frame GA-F platform (with a strong axle on the rear and double-wishbone setup up entrance) with the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Collection
The Lexus LX700h is a fairly nice chariot to pedal, though its sheer opulence and raft of digital driver aids can’t masks the truth that it has a truck chassis.
As such, its steering lacks the crispness and precision you’d get in a BMW X7, Mercedes GLS or Vary Rover; whereas Porsche’s Cayenne sits in a special universe dynamically.
The Lex is a sizeable entity (measuring 5100mm lengthy and 1990mm large), so slotting it into tight parking areas isn’t the best train. That mentioned, the reversing digicam and parking sensors take the guesswork out of backing into slender spots.
Out on the open street, the Lexus lacks the firmly planted really feel of the German luxo-SUVs and Vary Rover, with its considerably obscure and floaty responses belying its utilitarian underpinnings.
Journey high quality is mostly okay, though it will get jiggly over high-frequency bumps. This was significantly evident over a corrugated gravel street that we traversed throughout our check.
Adaptive hydraulic suspension allows trip peak to be raised from the usual 210mm to over 250mm when crawling over massive rocks or tackling towering sand dunes, so the LX700h isn’t missing versus its blue-collar LandCruiser 300 cousin (235mm clearance) on this regard.
The LX700h can be the primary hybrid Lexus with a wading depth akin to combustion-powered off-roaders at 700mm, with the hybrid battery sitting inside a specifically designed waterproof casing underneath the rear flooring.
The AC inverter, situated underneath the centre console, can be waterproof. It permits for exterior energy provide of as much as 1500W or 2400W, relying on the area.
Our off-road adventures have been restricted to traversing some rock-strewn trails, gravel tracks and sand-dune browsing underneath the setting solar. The Lexus was capable of conquer all of it with out breaking a sweat.
Just one or two sections required the trip peak to be raised, whereas locking the centre diff ensured the massive Lex was capable of effortlessly discover traction throughout smooth sandy dunes.
The LX700h might have tamed rougher terrain than we traversed, however that wouldn’t in any case have been consultant of the car’s typical utilization sample within the arms of householders.
Few LX700h patrons are prone to bash their $250k Lexus throughout humungous boulders and get the 22-inch cast rims all dinged up.
That mentioned, patrons in some markets (such because the US) even have entry to an Overtrail mannequin that rides on 18-inch rims with 33-inch all-terrain tyres.
This variant additionally will get locking entrance and rear differentials and a gloss-black grille and bodywork trim in lieu of chrome.
To see how the Lexus LX traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What do you get?
Lexus hasn’t confirmed if the LX700h is coming to Australia simply but, however given the LX engine variants aren’t tied to particular trim ranges, right here’s a have a look at the specification supplied throughout the native LX500d and LX600 lineup for MY25.
2025 Lexus LX500d Luxurious + LX600 Luxurious tools highlights:
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- 7-seat configuration
- Gentle-close doorways (NEW)
- Three-beam LED headlights, adaptive high-beam
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- DAB+ digital radio
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay
- Wi-fi Android Auto (NEW)
- 7.0-inch decrease display
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (NEW)
- 6 x USB-C retailers (up from 5)
- Head-up show
- “Hey Lexus” pure speech recognition
- 25-speaker Mark Levinson sound system
- 4-zone local weather management
- Centre console cool field (NEW)
- Leather-based upholstery
- 10-way driver and 8-way entrance passenger seat energy adjustment
- Heated entrance seats
- ‘Shimamoku’ wooden trim
- Wi-fi telephone charging
- 360-degree digicam
- Multi-terrain monitor
- Trailer wiring harness and towing hitch
- Lexus Related Providers with stolen car monitoring, automated collision notification and SOS name performance
LX500d + LX600 Overtrail add (over Luxurious):
- 5-seat configuration
- Sunroof
- Arms-free energy tailgate
- 18-inch matte gray alloy wheels
- Toyo 5 Open Nation all-terrain tyres
- Locking entrance and rear differentials
- Black grille, bumpers, door handles, wheel arches, mirror caps and door window mouldings
- Leather-based-accented seats in Monolith
- Sumi Ash black inlays
LX500d + LX600 Sports activities Luxurious add (over Luxurious):
- 22-inch cast alloy wheels
- 5-seat configuration
- Ventilated entrance seats
- Heated and ventilated second-row seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Centre console cooler field
- Digital rear-view mirror
- Fingerprint identification push-button begin
- Premium leather-accented seats
- ‘Takanoha’ ornamentation – wooden veneer
- Twin 11.6-inch rear-seat screens
- Massaging entrance seats (NEW)
- 4-way adjustable head restraints (NEW)
LX500d + LX600 F Sport add (over Luxurious):
- Darkened 22-inch alloy wheels
- Sunroof
- Arms-free energy tailgate
- Blacked-out mesh grille
- Hadori aluminium ornamentation
- Aluminium pedals and scuff plates
- Perforated F Sport seats with added bolstering
- Flare Purple inside trim possibility
- Torsen rear limited-slip differential
- Efficiency dampers
- Adaptive Variable Suspension
- 5-seat configuration
- Massaging entrance seats (NEW)
- 4-way adjustable head restraints (NEW)
LX600 Extremely Luxurious provides:
- Entrance wi-fi telephone charger (NEW)
- Twin rear captain’s chairs with:
- 48-degree reclining
- Therapeutic massage perform
- ‘Deluxe’ headrests
- Passenger-side ottoman
- Quilted upholstery (black or Sunflare)
- Distinctive centre-rear console with:
- Touchscreen show for air-conditioning controls
- Wi-fi smartphone charger
- Twin USB-C ports
- Further cupboard space
To see how the Lexus LX traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
Is the Lexus LX700h secure?
The Lexus LX nonetheless hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, although its diesel-powered Toyota LandCruiser twin was awarded a five-star security ranking in 2021.
It comes as normal with a collection of security options, together with:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Pedestrian detection (day and night time)
- Bicycle owner detection (day and NEW night time)
- Motorcyclist detection (day, NEW)
- Intersection flip help
- Entrance and rear parking help brake with impediment and car detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Adaptive cruise management
- Lane departure alert
- Lane-keep help
- Site visitors signal recognition
- Emergency steering help
- Protected exit help (NEW)
- Emergency driving cease system (NEW)
To see how the Lexus LX traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
How a lot does the Lexus LX700h value to run?
Whereas the LX700h isn’t bought right here as but, the broader LX vary is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
Servicing is required each six months or 10,000km, with capped-price servicing supplied for 10 companies – in different phrases, for 5 years or 100,000km. Every of those companies is capped at $595.
To see how the Lexus LX traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
CarExpert’s Tackle the Lexus LX700h
The Lexus LX700h is an achieved luxo-SUV that gives each hardcore off-road capability in addition to carpark cred while you rock up at your unique personal golf membership.
The brand new hybrid flagship mightn’t have the on-road finesse you’d get in a Vary Rover or any of the German tremendous SUVs, however it could enterprise farther past the overwhelmed observe than the rest in its phase – arguably aside from a Mercedes G-Wagen.
Nevertheless, the query we’re left asking is whether or not the LX700h’s added value and complexity vis-à-vis the cheaper LX600 are justified – although we don’t know simply how a lot it should value in Australia, but.
The addition of an electrical motor brings some benefits in tough low-speed off-road circumstances, in addition to marginal gasoline economic system advantages, however aside from that the non-hybrid LX600 can do all the pieces the LX700h can.
Nevertheless, when you merely should have the most costly and highly effective Lexus SUV on the planet, then the LX700h could maintain some enchantment for you.
Focused on shopping for a Lexus LX? Get in contact with one among CarExpert’s trusted sellers right here
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