All-new Lexus LX set for Sept debut, LX 750h hybrid with 480 hp, LX 600 with Land Cruiser 3.5L V6

After Lexus promised one more new model for 2021 after the second-generation NX, the premium brand released a video teasing a large SUV. All signs point to it being the new Lexus LX – today’s LX has origins from 2007, and the Toyota Land Cruiser – which the LX has always been based on – went into a new generation this month.

Now, rumours originating from Creative Trend in Japan have revealed possible powertrain details, purportedly from info obtained from a Lexus dealer. The next generation of Lexus’ flagship SUV will be based on the new Land Cruiser with the lighter GA-F platform, but with added luxury and Lexus design. There are even some changes under the hood and new model names.

At the top of the tree will be the so-called LX 750h, which will use the Land Cruiser 300 Series‘ 3.5L V6 engine. In the Toyota, the twin-turbo engine is good for 409 hp and 650 Nm of torque, but the flagship LX 750h will add on hybrid assistance (hence the ‘h’ in the name) for a combined 480 hp and 871 Nm of torque.

The report adds that there will be an LX 600 variant with the Land Cruiser’s 409 hp engine intact, without the additional battery and hybrid hardware. Both LX 750h and LX 600 will feature a 10-speed automatic transmission, just like the Land Cruiser. The 300 Series also has a 3.3L turbodiesel V6 engine (305 hp/700 Nm), but fittingly, there’s no mention of the oil burner for the Lexus.

The report also mentions a more luxurious interior than the Land Cruiser, along with the brand’s new infotainment system seen in the 2022 NX. The latest system sees Lexus ditch the Remote Touch Controller, the much-maligned mouse-like contraption, in favour of a big touchscreen. The screen maxes out at 14 inches in the NX, but rumour is that the LX will have one as large as 17 inches. It certain has the size to accommodate such a wide landscape screen.

Lastly, it is said that the next LX will have a fingerprint scanner for starting the engine. The internal info says that the LX is set for a September 2021 debut and will go on sale in December in some markets. The Land Cruiser is not destined for the US market, but the big Lexus is a thing there and Americans can opt for the equally off-road capable but more luxe LX.

New LX aside, Lexus is said to be developing a seven-seater crossover called LF. Unlike the LX, which is based on one of the most capable off-roaders in the world, the LF will have unibody construction and will focus on luxury and on-road comfort.

Back to some official news. Lexus has already stated that by 2025, it plans to introduce 20 new or improved models, including more than 10 electrified models such as full EVs (BEV), plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and regular hybrids (HEV), in line with the needs of each market and region. By 2025, Lexus also aims to offer electric variants of all its models, with the sales ratio of BEVs exceeding that of ICE vehicles.

While Lexus and Toyota were hybrid pioneers, they’ve been slow starters in the PHEV and BEV races, having bet on hydrogen fuel cell tech as “the future of driving”. Lexus is making up for lost time now. The brand launched its first BEV late last year with the UX 300e, and the new NX 450h+ is Lexus’ first PHEV. The next step comes in 2022, when the brand will reveal its first dedicated BEV model.

Dedicated BEV means that it will be a stand-alone electric car, and not a regular model repurposed to be an EV like the UX 300e. In March, Lexus revealed the LF-Z Electrified concept, and the showcar could very well be a preview of that dedicated BEV.

GALLERY: 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series