2025 Lexus LX700h review: Quick drive

West Australian

24-05-2025

Lexus recently unveiled its updated
2025 LX range
which – apart from gaining some new tech features – is also bolstered by the addition of a new hybrid variant known as the LX700h.
Pairing the 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 from the LX600 with an electric motor that sits between the engine the 10-speed automatic transmission, the LX700h's outputs are bumped up to 341kW and 790Nm, versus 305kW and 650Nm for the lesser non-hybrid.
While the refreshed LX range
is Australia-bound this year, the LX700h is yet to be confirmed for our market. Even so, we managed to snare a test vehicle in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the opulent 4WD SUV just went on sale.
The LX700h has the same 700mm maximum wading depth as other variants – thanks to a waterproof casing for the battery – and is fitted with a second starter motor on top of the regular alternator so the car can start its engine independently of the electric motor if required.
Chassis strengthening measures include the addition of a third cross-member to support the hybrid battery, as well as redesigned mounting cushions that attach to the upper body. These upgrades are claimed to improve rigidity and reduce vibrations on the road.
WATCH: Paul's video review of the 2023 Lexus LX600 Ultra Luxury
Also new are strengthened rear engine mounts, along with a revised position for the under-slung spare wheel to accommodate the battery without compromising the departure angle. In addition, the 12-volt battery moves from the engine to the rear of the vehicle.
Other improvements include a 12.3-inch widescreen digital instrument cluster that replaces the previous 8.0-inch screen (and is available across the revamped LX lineup), an 'air bladder' in the front seats claimed to reduce fatigue, and a new electronic gear selector in the hybrid model.
Added safety features include autonomous emergency braking for intersections, and a new driver monitoring camera that watches the driver's eyes and can instruct the vehicle to pull itself over on the side of the road if the driver is detected to be unresponsive.
We tested the Lexus LX700h in the United Arab Emirates, where the entry-level Signature model is priced from AED590,000 (A$251,950) while the flagship LX700h F Sport starts at an eye-watering AED635,000 (A$271,170).
For now, these figures are hypothetical for Australia as the hybrid model is yet to be confirmed for our market.
However, if the LX700h is eventually offered here and local pricing is reflective of the LX700h's UAE prices, it would put the Lexus up against the likes of the
Range Rover
,
BMW X7 M60 xDrive
,
Mercedes-AMG GLS63
and
Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid
.
Of these rivals, only the Range Rover could lay claim to be a genuine all-terrainer. Whether or not any Rangie owners actually venture beyond the beaten track is another matter.
In Australia, the updated 2025 Lexus LX range starts from $158,700 for the LX500d Luxury, and tops out at $220,950 for the LX600 Ultra Luxury – we'd expect the LX700h to carry a premium over the equivalent LX600. Read our full price and specs story
here
.
To see how the Lexus LX lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
The leather-lined Lexus LX700h is largely as per the lesser LX600 inside, and in updated form it features a fully digitised instrument panel that does away with the analogue secondary gauges of the non-hybrid variant.
The LX700h also sports a Prius-style e-shifter in lieu of the conventional gearshift in the LX600
A 12.3-inch touchscreen mounted atop the dashboard controls most of the infotainment functions, while a 7.0-inch secondary touchscreen that sits below it displays mostly driving-related data such as ride height, throttle and brake position and the lateral inclination of the vehicle. This screen can also be used to control the HVAC settings.
There are physical buttons and twist knobs to select drive mode, set ride height, engage the centre differential, select low range and engage Downhill Assist/Crawl Control.
The overall interface is a bit of a hotch-potch as there's far too much for the eye to take in at a glance. That said, once you're familiar with the vehicle your eyes and brain figure out which bits to filter out when not needed.
The LX700h features a digital overhead mirror rather than a conventional reflective unit and, while I'm usually not a fan of the former, in the Lexus it functions quite well, providing a clear and unobstructed view of the road behind.
The front seats are superbly comfortable and supportive, so my spine and torso were none the worse for wear after a full-day safari that encompassed highway schlepping, some rock/gravel traversing and gliding up and down sand dunes as the sun was setting.
The second-row seats are heated, cooled, and and are adequately comfortable for the two window-seat occupants, but the unlucky sod in the centre pew will have drawn the short straw as they'd be occupying the space 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, a power outlet, map pockets in the back of the front seats, and rear shades to cover the large side windows.
As for the third-row seats, they're more spacious than is the case with most seven-seaters, but you wouldn't want to be cooped up back there for too long as your knees end up almost chest high.
Luggage capacity is a paltry 204 litres with the third-row seats in the upright position due to the hybrid battery pack eating into the cargo bay. Even when the rear seats are folded, they sit on top of the battery pack, so you still only get 878 litres of space.
To see how the Lexus LX lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
The LX700h packs a 3.4-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol and 10-speed automatic, as per the LX600, but integrates an electric motor-generator with a clutch between the engine and transmission.
Outputs of 341kW and 790Nm are a handy bump on the 305kW/650Nm eked out by the LX600, although weight also bloats out to 2780kg with the added hybrid componentry (versus 2660kg for the non-hybrid LX600).
As with the LX600, the petrol-electric model is equipped with full-time four-wheel drive system and a low-range transfer case. Lexus refers to the LX700h's powertrain as a 'high-performance parallel hybrid' that offers 'the reliability and durability customers expect when heading deep into bush or snow'.
The LX700h is the brand's first parallel hybrid to feature both an alternator and a starter motor, reducing reliance on the electric motor. This enables engine ignition independent of the electric motor, with the alternator powering the 12V auxiliary battery.
It also allows functions like ride height adjustment and Active Traction Control 2 (A-TRAC) to continue to operate even when the electric motor isn't in use.
Out in the real world, the hybrid powertrain gels relatively seamlessly, with the interface between petrol engine and electric motor calibrated in such a way that you wouldn't necessarily detect from behind the wheel that there are two separate elements providing propulsion.
Where the instant grunt of the electric motor proves especially useful is when crawling over rocks or manoeuvring between tight obstacles as it allows for precise throttle control at low speeds.
The hybrid powertrain also improves performance out on open tarmac roads, and our seat-of-the pants impression suggests the big SUV could dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in about 6.0 seconds.
To see how the Lexus LX lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
As per the LX600, the LX700h shares its body-on-frame GA-F platform (with a solid axle at the rear and double-wishbone setup up front) with the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series
The Lexus LX700h is a reasonably pleasant chariot to pedal, although its sheer opulence and raft of electronic driver aids can't mask the fact 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 Range Rover; while Porsche's Cayenne sits in a different universe dynamically.
The Lex is a sizeable entity (measuring 5100mm long and 1990mm wide), so slotting it into tight parking spaces isn't the easiest exercise. That said, the reversing camera and parking sensors take the guesswork out of backing into narrow spots.
Out on the open road, the Lexus lacks the firmly planted feel of the German luxo-SUVs and Range Rover, with its somewhat vague and floaty responses belying its utilitarian underpinnings.
Ride quality is generally okay, although it gets jiggly over high-frequency bumps. This was particularly evident over a corrugated gravel road that we traversed during our test.
Adaptive hydraulic suspension enables ride height to be raised from the standard 210mm to over 250mm when crawling over large rocks or tackling towering sand dunes, so the LX700h isn't lacking versus its blue-collar LandCruiser 300 cousin (235mm clearance) in this regard.
The LX700h is also the first hybrid Lexus with a wading depth comparable to combustion-powered off-roaders at 700mm, with the hybrid battery sitting within a specially designed waterproof casing under the rear floor.
The AC inverter, located under the centre console, is also waterproof. It allows for external power supply of up to 1500W or 2400W, depending on the region.
Our off-road adventures were limited to traversing some rock-strewn trails, gravel tracks and sand-dune surfing under the setting sun. The Lexus was able to conquer it all without breaking a sweat.
Only one or two sections required the ride height to be raised, while locking the centre diff ensured the big Lex was able to effortlessly find traction across soft sandy dunes.
The LX700h could have tamed rougher terrain than we traversed, but that wouldn't in any case have been representative of the vehicle's typical usage pattern in the hands of owners.
Few LX700h buyers are likely to bash their $250k Lexus across humungous boulders and get the 22-inch forged rims all dinged up.
That said, buyers in some markets (such as the US) also have access to an Overtrail model that rides on 18-inch rims with 33-inch all-terrain tyres.
This variant also gets locking front and rear differentials and a gloss-black grille and bodywork trim in lieu of chrome.
To see how the Lexus LX lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
Lexus hasn't confirmed if the LX700h is coming to Australia just yet, but given the LX engine variants aren't tied to specific trim levels, here's a look at the specification offered across the local LX500d and LX600 lineup for MY25.
2025 Lexus LX500d Luxury + LX600 Luxury equipment highlights:
LX500d + LX600 Overtrail add (over Luxury):
LX500d + LX600 Sports Luxury add (over Luxury):
LX500d + LX600 F Sport add (over Luxury):
LX600 Ultra Luxury adds:
To see how the Lexus LX lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
The Lexus LX still hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, though its diesel-powered Toyota LandCruiser twin was awarded a five-star safety rating in 2021.
It comes as standard with a suite of safety features, including:
To see how the Lexus LX lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
While the LX700h isn't sold here as yet, the wider LX range is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Servicing is required every six months or 10,000km, with capped-price servicing offered for 10 services – in other words, for five years or 100,000km. Each of these services is capped at $595.
To see how the Lexus LX lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
The Lexus LX700h is an accomplished luxo-SUV that provides both hardcore off-road ability as well as carpark cred when you rock up at your exclusive private golf club.
The new hybrid flagship mightn't have the on-road finesse you'd get in a Range Rover or any of the German super SUVs, but it can venture farther beyond the beaten track than anything else in its segment – arguably apart from a
Mercedes G-Wagen
.
However, the question we're left asking is whether the LX700h's added cost and complexity vis-à-vis the cheaper LX600 are justified – though we don't know just how much it will cost in Australia, yet.
The addition of an electric motor brings some advantages in tricky low-speed off-road conditions, as well as marginal fuel economy benefits, but apart from that the non-hybrid LX600 can do everything the LX700h can.
However, if you simply must have the most expensive and powerful Lexus SUV on the planet, then the LX700h may hold some appeal for you.
Interested in buying a Lexus LX? Get in touch with one of CarExpert's trusted dealers
here
MORE:
Everything Lexus LX