#11
By Martin O’Neil
The Lexus LX 2022 is a luxury SUV based on the new Toyota’s Land Cruiser platform. It is a luxurious full size SUV and incorporates phenomenal and impeccable off-road capability. The Lexus LX features a V8 power-train, with the full model’s name – LX 460, LX 470, or LX 570, denoting the respective engine displacement.
The 2022 LX is a highly redesigned flagship Lexus SUV, sporting an upgraded interior and riding with a more potent twin-turbocharged engine.
In particular, the LX 570 takes off-road capability seriously while not skimping on luxury, with four-wheel drive remaining standard. The range incorporates a number of off-road goodies, including a height-adjustable suspension system, rendering the LX the most potent luxury mode of transport for top public service honchos traversing the country’s most rugged rural terrain, including the County Governors in far flung and remote areas. For this kind of terrain, Lexus succeeded in beefing up the new LX in order to compete favourably with its other contemporaries in the large luxury SUV segment, including the BMW X7, the Land Rover Range Rover, the Mercedes-Benz GLS and lately the Audi Q9.
Following the last generation’s 13-year run, the latest Lexus LX boasts of a ground-up redesign. If you’re a chair of a board, a CS or CEO of a very large institution looking for a viable alternative to the Land Rover Range Rover and you are doubting the off-road ability of the BMW X7, you’ll want to go for the Ultra Luxury trim level available in the Lexus LX.
Up front, there are new headlights, a bold new interpretation of the Lexus spindle grille, a unique bonnet and, of course, different front bumpers, depending on your taste. The side profile comes with different alloy wheel designs, and a new rear quarter window sporting a more angular design. The tailgate is less upright, and the tail-lights and rear bumpers are also unique. The LX rides on wheels that range between 20 and 22 inches depending on the trim.
On the inside, everything looks familiar yet subtly different, with the LX featuring its own dashboard and interior door panels. One is welcomed into the new LX by a modern and luxurious makeover, with a wide centre console between the front seats that creates a cosy cockpit environment. Quilted leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped dashboard, wood trim, and smoked-chrome accents gives the LX a high-end appearance and luxury ambiance.
Three standard displays grace the LX’s dashboard and it starts with the 8-inch screen for the gauge cluster. Rising out of the dash is the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that’s housed in a unique skateboard-style section, including a Lexus-exclusive starter button with built-in fingerprint reader. Directly below is a LX-only 7.0-inch secondary touchscreen that’s primarily for the Multi-Terrain Select system, but also features additional settings for the climate control setup.
The top-spec Ultra Luxury model is only offered as a four-seat layout, with dual luxurious captain’s chairs in the rear divided by a centre console housing a touchscreen for the climate control, plus rear-seat entertainment displays, wireless smartphone charging capability, and specially designed seats to enhance occupant comfort. The rear seats can be reclined up to 48 degrees, and comfort for those in the back can be further enhanced by sliding and tilting the front passenger seat forward and deploying the built-in footrest.
Off-road aids include crawl control, downhill assist, Multi-Terrain Select, which offers the driver six driving modes – Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Deep Snow and Rock, and a Multi-Terrain Monitor with cameras mounted at the front, rear and under the wing mirrors.
A suite of on-road driver-assistance features are standard on the LX and includes autonomous emergency braking with day and night pedestrian-and-bicyclist detection, oncoming vehicle detection during turns, emergency steering assist, radar-guided cruise control, dynamic high beams, and road sign recognition, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control.
For those who want a dash of extra on-road performance, there’s now an F Sport option complete with 22-inch wheels, thicker seat bolsters, sportier shocks, a Torsen limited-slip rear differential, rear stabiliser bar, retuned steering, and adaptive suspension.
