Lexus LX470 2007 News

The Lexus version of the 200 Series has follow the new GS sedan's styling lead but it brings with it a $9000 slice to the price and a boost for the features list. On sale now and starting from $140,900, the updated LX 570 has been reduced to a single model and has styling tweaks front and rear, new 20in alloy wheels, daytime LED running lights, but Lexus says the main changes are under the skin. The price cut narrows the gap to the top-spec Land Cruiser Sahara petrol V8 (albeit a 227kW/439Nm 4.7-litre) to $26,000. The new 570 sits below the Range Rover petrol-engined line-up by $18,000, boasting extra seating capacity above the off-roading Brit. The 570 undercuts the G and GL-Class Mercedes-Benz off-road brigade by between $21,000 and $33,000. The outputs of the 5.7-litre petrol V8 remain at 270kW and 530Nm, with a 14.8l/100km combined-cycle fuel economy claim. Changes to LX 570 are more than just skin deep, says Lexus, with the new off-road Turn Assist feature that reduces the turning circle by adding more brake force to the inside rear wheel - anyone who has driven a tractor will be familiar with this type of function. The big eight-seater Lexus also has "Multi-Terrain Select" function, which allows the driver to select one of five terrain types (no doubt inspired by Land Rover's Terrain Response system) - rock, rock and dirt, mogul, loose rock, and mud and sand - to tailor the electronic control systems to the prevailing conditions. The system also has four wide-angle cameras to show the driver what's going on in areas out of sight, displaying the images to the driver on the eight-inch LCD screen. There's also a new display between the speedo and tacho that show front wheel angles, 4WD, speed and satnav info and the Crawl Control feature now has five preset speeds, up from three. Standard fare also includes adjustable suspension, a chilled centre console, a dual-screen rear seat entertainment system, a reversing camera, keyless entry and ignition, four-zone climate control, daytime running lamps, 10 airbags, a  220-volt 100-watt power outlet in the rear cargo bay, a 19-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, front and rear clearance sensors and Bluetooth. There's a $16,000 option pack that adds wheel-mounted paddle shifters for the six-speed automatic transmission, as well as the Lexus Pre-Collision safety prep system, active cruise control, rear seat heaters, ventilated front seats and mahogany wood grain-look interior trim, including on the steering wheel.  

Luxury car maker Lexus has distinguished its big four-wheel drive from the Toyota LandCruiser 200 on which it is based by installing a bigger V8 petrol engine. The new LandCruiser 200 has a 4.7-litre V8 petrol engine capable of 202kW of power and 410Nm of torque or, at a premium price, a 4.5-litre twin-turbo V8 diesel giving 195kW of power and 650Nm of torque. But the coming Lexus LX 570 version will have a 5.7-litre V8 petrol engine of about 270kW of power and around 530Nm of torque. This is 100kW more than the outgoing LX 470 wagon. The big V8 will run to a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift. The new Lexus is for people who want the tops in luxury yet with serious off-road abilities in a big and strong, yet comfortable wagon. And people who can pay for it. The outgoing LX 470 has been listed at $123,000 and we can't see the new one with its extra technology being any less. Although, for the first time, the Lexus LX will be offered in two grades of trim so buyers who don't want all the gadgets don't have to pay. Each version will have 10 airbags and vehicle stability system. The upper-grade model will have a wide-view front-and-side camera monitor to help in parking and easing through off-road obstacles. A crawl control introduced on the latest LandCruiser 200 also will go into the LX. It helps when driving over rough surfaces by allowing the driver to forget about accelerating or braking, while concentrating on steering. The upper model might even have a power-opening and closing tail gate, commanded by the key fob and a cabin switch. It will have adjustable height suspension, giving 225mm ground clearance, 31-degree approach angle and 23-degree departure angle in the top setting. Expect the 5.7-litre engine in a big, heavy car to get through petrol. It has a 93-litre tank.

It will sit below the existing IS250 sedan and is aimed directly at the 1 Series, with a likely starting price below $50,000.The plan points to a compact hatchback body, rear-wheel drive and a range of sporty engines with the emphasis on six-cylinder power and refinement. But there is an equal chance that Lexus could head into the crossover field, making the newcomer a small all-wheel-drive wagon.The car is not officially confirmed, although Lexus executives are open in their discussion of the project.“I believe in the strong necessity to include an entry-level Lexus model,” the executive vice-president of Toyota Motor Corporation, Tokuichi Uranishi, says.“It's not decided. It's just an idea at this moment.”But it is an idea, which is already being welcomed by Lexus in Australia.“We are getting a lot of requests for that sort of car,” the head of Lexus in Australia, John Rocca, says.“And, looking at our competitors, there is certainly a market there for it.”Uranishi says a baby Lexus would help the brand to improve its average CO2 emissions, offsetting the poor scores of heavyweights including the LandCruiser-based LX, but Rocca can see other advantages.“What it brings to the brand is another model, for starters. And market share,” he says.“I think the advantage we would have is that, having the Toyota brand, there is credibility that we can build a car that size. Similar to what we have already experienced with SUVs in the brand.”Lexus is pushing hard in Australia with six models from the IS through to the upcoming change for the LX500.The heavyweight four-wheel drive is expected to be a star in 2008, lifting the current sales rate of 12 cars a month to more than 50. The improvement will also be helped by a two-level strategy to set a competitive price point against rivals including the BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes ML.Rocca says the new models are the key to Lexus's plans to fight BMW and Mercedes for luxury car sales leadership in Australia.“We've got a pretty aggressive business plan that we are putting through at the moment,” he says.“It's reliant on product, but we have to plan out to 2015. It will range from 16,000 to 24,000 sales a year."“Plans like that are driven by product. But in the short term it will be driven through the dealer network. We need to expand the network."“At the moment we're at 22 and by 2015 we'd like to be at 38 dealerships. Most of the expansion will be rural and we're trialling the Japanese image, which has been used for setting up the brand there."“We're adopting that in Australia as a trial in Perth. The first of the new-look dealerships opens there in January.”