05-02-2025
2025 Lexus LX 700h SUV Has More Capability Than You'll Ever Need
Lexus LX 600 and 700h roll into 2025 with hybrid and non-hybrid power and loads of off-road capability.
Both are powered by the 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 shared with the Toyota Tundra and Sequoia and ride on the same frame rails of the TNGA-F platform.
Pricing starts at $106,850 for the 600 and $115,350 for the 700h. Available now.
Did you know that the biggest market for the Lexus LX is not here in the US but in the Middle East? And if you've ever watched videos of the Dakar Rally, held in Saudi Arabia since 2020, then you know that's not all rolling dunes. There is as much rocky terrain as there is sand, and for that you need a seriously off-road-capable vehicle.
Thus, the new 2025 LX 700h has:
Three locking differentials on the Overtrail model.
Skid plates galore.
An alternator and a starter, which is not even necessary in a hybrid.
A compact 12-volt battery, the sole purpose of which is to disengage the hybrid drive in case anything goes wrong with it, though nothing ever goes wrong with it.
Is this mechanical overkill? Maybe, but Lexus wants to make sure you get back from whatever adventure you undertake, and with the new LX, you should undertake a lot of them.
The LX was Lexus' first SUV, introduced 30 years ago. Nomenclature progressed accordingly: LX 450, 470, 570, and, in 2022, 600 with a twin-turbo, more luxury, and upgraded brakes.
'Affluent customers buy this,' said Richard Hollingsworth of Lexus product marketing. 'They want the best of the best.'
And by golly they're gonna get it.
You can still get the non-hybrid twin-turbo V6-powered LX 600, wherein the 600 stands for the displacement that would have been necessary to achieve that vehicle's 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque without the turbos.
Likewise, the new 700h is the displacement (7.0 liters) necessary to get that vehicle's output without the turbos and the hybrid. That works out to 457 hp and 583 lb-ft of twin-turbo torque. Why not just drop in a V8?
'Three years ago, when we were working on the LX 600, our goal at Lexus was carbon neutrality,' said Chief Engineer Takami Yokoo. 'Let's say we increase power and torque, but if we go backwards doing it, there's no purpose to it. So instead of a V8 we used a hybrid and achieved the same output. If you go to 7 liters you're probably looking at a V8 or even a V10.'
V10? LX Viper!
But no, this is about efficiency—and luxury.
'The LX 700h is about dual personality, highly capable on-road and off, and a nice, comfortable feel with massaging seats,' said Hollingsworth. 'Then off-road you're still going to have that comfortable ride. It's one of few vehicles in the segment that can take you to that level off-road and still have the luxury.'
The LX comes in five grades: Premium, F Sport Handling, Luxury, Ultra Luxury, and—new for this year—Overtrail. This makes the LX the only vehicle in the Lexus lineup to offer both F Sport and Overtrail, though, really, F Sport? This ain't no DBX/Urus/Cayenne.
The LX rides on the TNGA-F architecture shared with everything from the 4Runner to the Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia and Land Cruiser. You could say this is an expensive version of a Land Cruiser but our Land Cruiser only gets the 2.4-liter four-cylinder hybrid, not this SUV's stump-stompin' powertrain. Why body-on-frame when they could probably have gotten away with a unibody?
'The biggest advantage is all components sit on bare chassis frame that control the three elements of driving: to move forward, turn, and stop,' said Yokoo. 'Today's off-road course is not extreme. But say you hit something—it takes a lot to break it. Say you roll the car, so even if you get substantial damage it shouldn't affect those basic functions of the car. That's the big difference between monocoque and ladder frame.'
Man, they are really taking this survivability thing seriously.
To that end, all LX models get the Torsen locking center differential, while the Overtrail model gets electronically controlled locking front and rear axles.
All LXs get: Active Height Control that hydraulically raises and lowers the body; Adaptive Variable Suspension that changes shock stiffness to adapt to varying driving conditions; Multi-Terrain Select that allows the driver to switch between high range (H4) and low range (L4), hydraulic brake pressure, and suspension control according to the selected mode; Multi-Terrain Monitor that uses four cameras to display underfloor, front, side and rear-view camera images on the 12.3-inch display; EPS and EBS to adjust steering and braking as appropriate; and the latest version of Crawl Control with Turn Assist and Downhill Assist Control, which are like cruise control for off-roading.
There is also Drive Mode Select to choose between the LX's six modes: Normal, ECO, Comfort, Custom, Sport S, and Sport S+.
How does it drive? We immediately headed to Lexus' hand-built off-road course to find out. The course looked like one of those small off-road parks you see in Japan and Europe, where SUV owners get to pretend they're in King of the Hammers. It was expertly contrived but very, very short.
Nonetheless, the LX comported itself well. I shifted into 4LO and had at it. The LX did, indeed, creep over rocks, up a steep hill, and down the other side, and didn't slip in the mud.
But I wanted more. Maybe I'll get one out of the press fleet and take it out to Johnson Valley.
On-road, we were offered a number of route choices that would have been more appropriate for a Lexus LF-A. I had just traversed many of the same roads in the new Aston Martin DBX 707. Granted, that costs a lot more than this and couldn't do half the stuff the LX can do off-road, but the LX just didn't feel 'sporty.'
At $106,850 for the 600 and $115,350 for the 700h to start, the LX competes with (broadly speaking) the Maserati Grecale, Infiniti QX80, Land Rover Range Rover, BMW XM, and maybe even the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. While some of those may beat it on the street, none will likely keep up off-road.
So should you buy this or a competitor? The interior is mighty luxurious, and your Lexus dealer would jump through flaming hoops to get a good JD Power review from you. If you're looking for off-road chops, maybe this is the top of the class. And it certainly felt at home tooling around suburban environments.
Unless you need to compete in the KoH, you can get a less-expensive model and save money. But if you're shopping in this end of the market, you're not quite as penny pinching as some. For you, you will not be disappointed with either LX model.
Does the 700h really need all this 4x4 tech? Let us know below.
