Australian specifications and pricing have been announced for the 2018 Lexus LX450d, the diesel-powered luxury off-road wagon has been a long time coming and will open with a sticker price of $134,500 plus on-roads.
There have long been calls for Lexus to adopt a diesel engine in its LX range. In this instance, Lexus has utilised the 4.5-litre twin-turbo V8 from the popular Toyota LandCruiser, it’s good for 200kW of power at 3600rpm and 650Nm of torque from 1600-2800rpm.
Fuel consumption is rated at 9.5L/100km on the combined cycle fuel which gives a theoretical cruising range of around 1000km with a five-seat configuration.
Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson said the LX450d would expand the brand's sales with turbo-diesel being the powertrain of choice in the luxury 4WD market.
The LX450d will sell alongside the LX570 which will continue with the 5.7-litre V8 petrol engine. The petrol engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic, while the diesel has to make do with six ratios. Both transmissions send drive to all four wheels.
For those with something to pull, both LX variants have a towing capacity of 3500kg.
Being an SUV in the premium segment, the LX450d is well appointed with 20-inch alloy wheels, tyre-pressure monitoring, LED headlamps and daytime running lights are all standard.
There’s a host of off-road tech including multi-terrain anti-skid brakes, crawl control and 4-camera multi-terrain monitor with back guide and panoramic view.
The LX450d also has five drive mode options to match the driving conditions, variable gear-ratio steering, adaptive variable suspension, active height control, back sonar and a 360-degree camera.
On the inside, buyers get a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, satellite navigation, four-zone climate control, a nine-speaker audio system, DAB+ radio, leather trim, heated front seats and a wireless phone charger.
A comprehensive safety package is also standard on the LX450d, the Lexus Safety System + brings a pre-collision system (PCS) with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control, lane departure warning, adaptive high-beams, head-up display, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and 10 airbags.
2018 Lexus LX pricing (excludes on-road costs):
LX450d – $134,500 (4.5-litre diesel, six-speed auto)
LX570 – $143,160 (5.7-litre petrol, eight-speed auto)
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