2022 Lexus LX (4th Gen)

Japanese tuners Modellista mildly modify the new Lexus LX

The fourth-generation Lexus LX, better known as the more costly and embellished version of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 was launched about the same time as its junior but didn’t get quite as much attention. Toyota in-house tuner Modellista have given the premium Japanese behemoth a mild exterior makeover to get it the attention it should!

The hefty LX is equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3,5-litre V6 that makes 304 kW and 650 Nm of torque. While you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this powertrain is shared with the Land Cruiser 300 but the winning 2022 Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+ too, which also employs the same engine although tuned to have slightly more power we think.

Looking beyond the differing front and rear facades of the LX, it is just about a carbon copy of its Toyota SUV counterpart albeit adorned with every conceivable nicety a barge of this size should have. It’s diet from the previous generation has also shed around 200kg which makes it a tad more nimble off the beaten path.

Although with the Modellista kit protruding further than normal from all extremities of the vehicle, you probably wouldn’t want to take it anywhere too daring. The full kit includes colour coded front and rear lower valances which give a sportier stance and tie the front end into the rest of the enormous and imposing grille which otherwise looks austere. The contrast before and after the front valance is installed is stark but things are less severe at the rear with the same treatment placing rear valence just below the diffuser and fake exhaust pipes giving it a more aggressive appeal.


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The Lexus LX 600 Is No Longer Stuck In 2007

Although it's still very expensive and doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense

Conclusion

If you read this review hoping I’d excoriate the new LX 600, I’m sorry to disappoint. It’s still not an SUV anyone actually needs, but thanks to a full redesign, a modern engine, new technology, and a more luxurious cabin, it’s no longer truly a “big, lumbering idiot-mobile.”

Even if the LX 600 isn’t for you personally, it’s still a newly redesigned Lexus, and I don’t feel bad about saying it’s a good luxury SUV. After all, Lexus doesn’t really build terrible vehicles. It may keep certain low-volume models such as the LX around long after they’ve started to feel outdated, but they’re very rarely uncompetitive right out of the gate.

That said, I’m sure plenty of people in the U.S. who can afford one will take their dollars elsewhere. After all, if you can accept that you’ll never do any serious off-roading, then why not buy something that’s more attractive or has better on-road driving dynamics? And if you actually do do a lot of off-roading, why not start with something cheaper and build the off-roader of your dreams?

As you can probably tell, I’m a little torn here. The styling’s not really my thing, and there are a few different choices I might have made here and there. But there aren’t many flaws I can point to as a reason not to like the new LX. On the other hand, can I say definitively that if you have $100,000 to spend, you should absolutely buy the new LX? Not really. Maybe my best advice is that if you think the new LX 600 might be for you, give it a test drive.

Am I refusing to pick a side here or damning the LX with faint praise? Not really. It’s just that six-figure off-road-capable luxury SUVs are in a pretty niche segment, and we’re talking about a pretty small number of potential buyers with a lot of financial flexibility who are all going to have different priorities.


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