2025 Lexus LX700h Driven: Both a Hybrid and a High Point

Lexus has offered hybrid SUVs going back to 2006, so the arrival of a hybrid powertrain into the LX had an air of inevitability about it. This is a first for the big-boy SUV, however, which was redesigned for the 2022 model year. Whereas previous Lexus hybrids have been mostly about fuel economy, that’s not really the case this time. With a combined fuel-economy estimate of 20 mpg, the hybrid LX is just 1 mpg better than its nonhybrid sibling. Instead, the LX700h’s numerically higher model designation (versus the rest of the lineup’s LX600 nameplate) is indicative both of its loftier horsepower output and its higher position in the lineup.

The powertrain combines the LX600’s twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 with an electric motor located within the 10-speed automatic transmission’s housing and a nickel-metal-hydride battery. The electrification pushes output to 457 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque versus 409 horses and 479 pound-feet for the lesser nonhybrids.

Top-of-the-Pyramid Pricing

As suggested by its nomenclature, the LX700h is also the most expensive variant. It starts at $115,350, almost exactly the point where the LX600 ($115,850) tops out. That’s for the new Overtrail trim level, which is available solely on the hybrid. From there, prices climb to $117,850 for the F Sport and $119,850 for the Luxury, both of which are $4000 more than their LX600 trim analogues. At the top is the $141,350 Ultra Luxury, which migrates over from the LX600 to become another LX700h exclusive.

The current LX is effectively the U.S. version of the 300-series Toyota Land Cruiser. (The latest U.S. Land Cruiser, known as the 250-series internationally, is slightly smaller and sports completely different bodywork than the LX—the GX is now its closest Lexus doppleganger.) As such, the LX already comes with a goodly amount of off-road equipment: four-wheel drive with low range, an electronically locking center differential, low-range crawl control, hill-descent control, an adaptive suspension with Active Height Control (AHC), and a camera system that can show an underbody view.

The Overtrail Addition

The new Overtrail trim adds front and rear electronically locking diffs, a metal skid plate, and beefy 33-inch tires on 18-inch wheels. It does not add any additional ground clearance, as the lowest point is still the differential housing of the solid rear axle, just shy of 8.1 inches above the ground; the AHC, however, can raise the body as much as 4.5 inches above the standard ride height (and lower it by just over an inch). We tried it out on a slick and muddy, but short, off-road course Lexus set up. There, the Overtrail demonstrated impressive wheel articulation, smooth throttle tip-in, and the ability to walk itself down steep slopes. The underbody-view camera system, which also shows graphic representations of wheel position, is a neat tech helper.

This hybrid powertrain hardware is much the same as that in the latest-generation Tundra and Sequoia. The most interesting difference is the redundancy added here. As with other Toyota hybrids, the electric motor-generator also acts as the starter. But if there’s a hybrid system failure, the gas engine can’t be started. Although hybrid system failures are rare, the fear was that an owner could be stranded out in the wild. So, the LX adds a starter, an alternator, and an auxiliary 12-volt battery. If the hybrid system fails, the aux battery fires up the starter, and the vehicle can be powered solely by the engine, with the alternator powering the accessories. The Tundra and Sequoia do not have these extra components. A second bit of extra engineering for the LX is that Lexus built a waterproof case for the hybrid battery, with a water-detection system and cooling facilitated by the rear air conditioning.

Driving the LX700h

Mostly, though, the tuning of the LX700h’s powertrain is what sets it apart from its siblings. The hybrid adds 104 pound-feet of torque to the standard LX’s 479 pound-feet, which comes atop the additional 20 horsepower that the Lexus’s twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6 makes (409 horses) over comparable Toyota versions. And despite carrying nearly 400 pounds of additional mass compared to the LX600, the LX700h is half a second quicker to 60 mph, according to Lexus. Looking back at Car and Driver‘s testing of the LX600, we found it’s right around the 6.0-second mark (5.9 seconds for an F Sport and 6.1 for an Ultra Luxury), so figure the LX700h should be good for a 5.5-second time. Towing capacity is the same 8000 pounds as in the LX600, and an integrated hitch receiver is standard.

Drive the LX700h, and the most impressive aspect is how seamlessly the hybrid system operates compared to similar Toyotas. The 10-speed automatic means there’s a pleasantly direct response to throttle inputs, and the effective sound deadening masks the EV whine when you lift off the gas and the system shifts into EV mode. The V-6 is muted, and the electric motor’s grunt helps compensate for any turbo lag. It drives like a smooth, responsive gas engine.

For 2025, the previously optional Adaptive Variable Suspension in combination with coil springs is now standard across the entire LX lineup. It allows some jiggly ride motions over rough pavement—more pronounced in the Overtrail—but makes for a mostly composed ride. The various drive modes can add some heft to the steering, as well as alter the throttle mapping and shift strategy, but when we took the LX700h for a run down a twisting two-lane with an extensive series of switchbacks, this tall and heavy beast mostly left us wishing we were piloting an IS500 instead.

LX700h Interior

The LX700h interior lives up to the brand ethos with padded surfaces everywhere, and everything you touch feels substantial. The comfy front chairs now feature standard massage in all LX models (rectifying an omission at the LX600’s launch). A refrigerated front center console box and rear-window sunshades are LX700h exclusives.

As in the LX600, the third row has decent head and knee clearance but a severe lack of space for legs or feet. Your butt is nearly at ankle level due to the raised floor necessary to clear the live rear axle and the hybrid battery. Overtrail buyers can skip the third row in favor of a five-seat layout, which makes for significantly more luggage space. The Ultra Luxury trim also does away with the third row to create additional second-row space for regal reclining chairs with a fixed console between them.

For models that do have a third row, the packaging of the hybrid-system battery compromises the LX’s already miserly cargo space aft of the third seat, reducing it from 11 to 7 cubic feet, significantly smaller than other full-size luxury SUVs. And the third-row seat no longer folds into the floor as it does in the LX600—instead, the seatback flops down onto the seat bottom. A small shelf a few inches above the cargo floor meets that folded-seatback height but raises the already-high liftover height farther. It’s not a great solution. On the upside, the hybrid does come with a 2400-watt AC inverter, as well as a three-prong power outlet in the cargo area.

“The biggest reason [for the hybrid] is that at Lexus we’re trying to move toward carbon neutrality,” says chief engineer Takami Yokoo, who points out that the LX was the only vehicle in the lineup that wasn’t electrified. He adds: “We were able to increase power and torque, and we were also able to reduce CO2 emissions.” Buyers with the same values should know that electrification makes the LX700h only marginally quicker and slightly more economical than the LX600, but it is every bit as refined. And then there’s that model designation, numerically the highest ever on a Lexus. That’s got to count for something.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com