Just days after teasing the luxurious SUV on its social media handles and website, Lexus has unveiled the ultimate rendition of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300-series, the all-new Lexus LX 600. Although the overall frame design and the engine stays the same as the 300-series, there are enough introductions and changes on the interiors and exteriors to ensure that the LX 600 lives up to the ‘fancier’ version of the Land Cruiser tag.
The first thing that sets the LX 600 apart from its counterpart is the very iconic and prominent display of the large front grille in the Lexus style hourglass shape, with long rectangular blocks cleanly extending from the end of the bonnet till the bumper. The Lexus badge sits horizontally in the centre. Although the headlights are quite similar to the 300-series, it's edgier and classy, instead of strong and rugged. The bonnet incorporates the same muscular styling as the 300-series. The rear of the LX 600 is much sportier than its counterpart with more curves and edges, wrapped around L-shaped taillights, and a lightbar joining both the tail lights. The rest of the design stays similar with tweaks here and there to present a sportier appeal to this luxury SUV.
The LX 600 adopts the new GA-F platform, a framework built from the ground up that makes major changes in the centre of gravity and weight of the SUV. LX 600 now weighs 200kg lighter than its predecessor, which is bound to increase the performance in many ways especially in manoeuvrability and off-roading. There are major upgrades to the suspension system as well, with active height control and an adaptive variable suspension system. The suspension stroke has also been increased, with 100mm of bound and 145mm of rebound.
The F-Sport variant gets the exclusive 22-inch forged aluminium wheels, while the standard LX 600 is available in 18 and 20-inch wheel options.
This is where the LX 600 stays true to the luxurious SUV tag. The first thing that comes to mind while talking about luxury cars is the comfort and premium feel inside. And on this front, the LX 600 does an incredible job with a four-seat set-up, featuring captain seats in the rear. Which don’t only look uber cool but also ridiculously comfy. Guess what, the seats are designed to absorb vibrations and give maximum comfort even while off-roading. If you wanted to relax and cool down, the LX 600 has massaging rear captain seats, with a 48-degree recline, and the upholstery is diamond stitched semi-aniline leather, now that is some crazy luxury. If that was not enough, Lexus offers much more. The rear gets a control panel that controls all functions centrally, along with wireless charging, cup-holders with lids, scratch-resistant self-healing paint and more.
The front of the interiors features the new Lexus interface incorporated in the massive dual-screen infotainment set-up — a 12.3-inch touchscreen on top for navigation, audio controls and multi-terrain monitor, and a lower 7-inch touch screen for climate control, driving support and more for an immersive multi-tasking experience. There's also a fully-digital 8-inch digital cluster as well.
The LX 600 gets a six-mode multi-terrain system — auto, dirt, sand, mud, deep snow and rock. The system optimises brake hydraulics, drive power and suspension to deliver the best performance according to the mode selected on various terrains.
Adding on the never-ending list of cool functionalities, the LX 600 also gets crawl control, downhill assist control and multi-terrain monitor. For a better off-roading experience, the LX 600 gets electronically controlled braking, electric power steering and limited-slip differential performance.
Now coming to what is under the hood powering the SUV, is the all-new 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine that produces 409bhp and 650Nm of torque which is paired to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. This engine was also seen on the new 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser.
The LX 600 gets many driver assistance features as a standard and it comes in five different trims— Standard, Premium, Luxury, F-Sport and Ultra Luxury. The F-Sport and Ultra Luxury variants are coming to the LX range of cars for the first time and take the premium quotient to the next level. The Standard trim gets a bench seat in the rear with just a five-seat set-up. The Premium, Luxury and F-Sport trims get a seven-seat set-up. Only the Ultra-luxury trim gets the cabin seats in the rear.
The LX 600 is scheduled to be launched in the US markets in early 2022 and there is no news if we will get to see the luxury SUV in India. One thing is certain though, the SUV will sport a really heavy price tag.