MONTEREY, CA – Toyota’s Lexus luxury division uses this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance, a showcase for classic cars, to unveil two refreshed ’16 production vehicles, the LX SUV and GS sedan, both going on sale this fall.
The LX reskin is the more extensive of the two, encompassing the entire interior and every piece of sheet metal, except the roof. The last all-new LX, an 8-passenger flagship for the brand, arrived in 2008 and was refreshed three years ago.
The GS was all-new in spring 2012 as a ’13 model, and it won a 2013 Ward’s 10 Best Interiors trophy for the GS 450h hybrid with its bamboo-inspired wood trim. The significant new addition for the ’16 GS lineup is the 2.0L turbocharged 4-cyl. that debuted a year ago in the NX CUV.
“The Concours weekend presents an absolutely ideal setting for us to be able to introduce to you and the rest of the world a couple of our brand-new products,” Brian Smith, Lexus vice president-marketing, tells journalists in debuting the LX and GS in the backyard of a private residence overlooking Pebble Beach golf course and the Pacific ocean.
Many of the LX specs carry over from the previous model, including wheelbase (112.2 ins. [2,850 mm]), total interior volume (158.9 cu.-ft. [4.5 cu.-m]) and curb weight (6,000 lbs. [2,721 kg]). But the LX gains 2.4 ins. (61 mm) in overall length and an extra 1.6 ins. (41 mm) of second-row legroom.
Power comes from the same port-injection 5.7L V-8 that makes 383 hp and 403 lb.-ft. (546 Nm) of torque, same as before. The engine is shared with the Tundra fullsize pickup and Sequoia fullsize SUV, which also are body-on-frame vehicles, like the LX. However, the LX shares its architecture with the Toyota Land Cruiser SUV, not the Tundra and Sequoia.
The previous LX used a 6-speed automatic, but the new vehicle employs an 8-speed auto, which boosts the EPA fuel-economy rating to 13/18 mpg (18-13 L/100 km) city/highway.
Suspension bits carry over, namely the coil-spring double-wishbone independent front and 4-link coil-spring lateral rod-type buttressing the rear.
Top speed is unchanged, at 137 mph (220 km/h), but the new LX can sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 7.3 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than previously. Coefficient of drag is unchanged, at 0.35.
LX Sales Have Room for Improvement
Far and away, the Middle East is the top market for the LX, accounting for half of global sales. The brand is hoping the LX can gain ground in the U.S. on other large luxury SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade, Range Rover and Infiniti QX80, which dominate the segment, according to WardsAuto data.
The Escalade and Escalade ESV combined for a class-leading 16,311 deliveries in the U.S. through June. Meanwhile, the LX and Land Cruiser tallied only 1,667 and 1,291 sales, respectively, placing them at the bottom of the pack, according to WardsAuto data.
Brian Bolain, corporate manager-Lexus product marketing, estimates the brand will sell up to 5,000 LX SUVs in the U.S. in its first full year.
Smith says the LX’s calling card is excellent refinement along with supreme off-road capability and control.
The SUV maximizes traction and off-road control with the help of locking and torque-biased differentials, multi-terrain antilock brakes, active traction control, hill-start assist, crawl control, a 4-wheel adaptive height-control suspension and adaptive variable shocks, Smith says.
The self-leveling suspension controls the vehicle and its payload at an ideal constant height determined by the driver, Smith says.
“It helps control body roll during turns and braking while still allowing 9 ins. (229 mm) of suspension travel for true off-road capability,” he says. “This is one of the most sophisticated suspension systems available on any vehicle at any price anywhere.”
The LX interior gets a massive redo, particularly with a bold splash of color. The only choices available previously were beige and black, but the new SUV also offers reddish-brown leather surfaces throughout the cabin.
“Every surface has been reimagined, from the new instrument panel and center console to the new steering wheel, seats, door trim and controls,” Smith says. Other new features include LED-based ambient lighting, a color head-up display, 12.3-in. (31.2-cm) multimedia touchscreen and a panoramic-view rear-facing camera to help when hitching and maneuvering a trailer.
