2012 LEXUS LX 570 V8 6AT AWD (383 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lexus introduced the third generation of the LX series in 2007 at the New York International Auto Show, and five years later, it has already gone through the second facelift, which was more substantial than the first refresh introduced in 2010.

Based on the same platform as the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 (J200), the LX was Lexus’Lexus’ flagship in the SUV segment, competing with vehicles such as the Lincoln Navigator or the Cadillac Escalade.

By 2012, Lexus had already started to change the design signature on its cars, and thus the LX received the so-called “Spindle design” on the front grille. That showed a narrower mid-section between the upper and the lower grille. To emphasize the new design language, the carmaker added sharper-looking headlights, taller on the outer sides. On the sides, the enlarged wheel-arches were needed to cover the wider, 20″” light-alloy wheels. To ease the ingress and egress from the car, Lexus added as an option a pair of side steps, which made the car lose some of the ground clearance. At the back, the wide tailgate got, depending on the options, a roof spoiler, even though it wasn’t a vehicle designed for speed.

Unlike its mundane sibling, the Land Cruiser 200, the LX received a leather-wrapped interior adorned, depending on the options, either with wood trims or silver-painted ones that mimicked aluminum. The seven-seat cabin featured two seats at the front, a bench for three in the middle, and a pair of inward-facing jump seats. At the front, the driver and side passenger could use the infotainment system mounted atop the center stack.

Under the hood, the Lexus installed a 5.7-liter V8 powerplant mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. Moreover, a low-range transfer case sent the power in all corners.