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Christopher L. Jackson | 4/1/2008 | Lexus
Lexus' flagship SUV is upgraded and up-rated for 2008, but if you blink, you'll miss this limited-production beast.
The Lexus LX470 was a nice enough ride, but let's be honest; it was getting old. That's okay, because the LX570 is ready to bring the model line into the present. In fact, the all-new LX570 just might leapfrog right over the competition into the future.
As a slightly more luxurious version of the already luxurious Land
Cruiser, Lexus' LX series full-size SUV has always had a way of
sneaking up on you. It never looked all that different from the Land
Cruiser, and made its mark primarily by offering a more luxurious
on-road ride without compromising the off-road ability that made the
Land Cruiser an icon. The next-generation version sticks closely to the
same formula. The LX570 is intended to be a vehicle that can really do
just about anything, and do it well.
On paper, it's off to a good start. The new LX570 is larger and
stronger, and still manages to boast better fuel economy than the
outgoing model. With 8500 pounds of towing capacity, it'll out-pull the
competition from Cadillac and Mercedes. The new 5.7 liter V8 uses VVT-i
variable valve timing, and there's also an extra oil cooler to improve
towing performance. The 383 horsepower is delivered with a typically
Lexus lack of drama. The six-speed automatic transmission is new, and
features a low first gear and sequential shift capability. Full-time
four-wheel drive motivates the LX570, and a lockable Torsen
limited-slip center differential ensures fantastic low-range
performance off-road. It may be right at home in front of the country
club, but the LX570 is just as unstoppable as any military-spec Toyota
Land Cruiser.
That's right, "unstoppable." It's not obvious at a glance, but the
LX570's got serious off-roading ability. This truck has a 27-inch
fording depth and a full set of skid plates to protect the underbody.
There are nine inches of wheel travel at all four corners, with coil
springs locating the solid rear axle. The LX570 is set apart from the
Land Cruiser by its Active Height Control and Adaptive Variable
Suspension. The automatically lowering suspension is available for the
first time. It drops at freeway speeds to improve stability. This also
allows for an Easy Access Control function, which lets the LX570 drop
the suspension and "kneel" for easy entry.
One of the LX570's coolest innovations is Crawl Control. Shared with
the Land Cruiser, Crawl Control combines the traction control, hill
descent control and cruise to let the LX570 take over completely when
climbing or descending steep terrain. In low gear, the driver can
select a speed of one, two or three and a half miles per hour, and the
LX570 will creep along at precisely that speed, adding braking and
throttle where necessary to keep the vehicle at a set speed. All the
driver has to do is steer. Anyone who ever spent years learning how to
finesse a Jeep up an uneven slope will hate you for being able to push
a button and climb the same grade without drama.
Vehicle Skid Control and Active Traction Control are also along for the
ride. Multi-terrain anti-lock brakes are able to modulate the brakes to
adjust for sand, gravel or other uncertain surfaces.
The flip side of all that technology is the serious comfort and luxury
within. The LX570 seats up to eight passengers in quiet,
leather-wrapped comfort. The redesigned interior greets passengers with
a swath of wood and is only distinguishable from that of a luxury sedan
by its height. There's a nicely-mounted driver information center that
also includes the standard navigation system. XM satellite radio is
also standard, and includes real-time traffic updates via XM
NavTraffic. Four-zone climate control ensures that all three rows of
passenger seating are comfortable. The rear seats still flip up to the
side rather than folding down into the floor. Lexus doesn't do this for
the sake of being quirky; it's because the solid rear axle leaves
nowhere for a seat to fold to. The fussy third-row seats have improved
their finger-friendliness by incorporating a power-fold function. The
second row also adds a power-slide feature and seat heaters.
As for optional equipment, a cool wide-view monitor uses cameras in the
grille and under the passenger mirror to project images of what's
directly in front of and next to the LX570 at speeds under five miles
per hour. The panoramic display in the dashboard information center is
very handy for parallel parking and driving in congested areas. A
remote start is also available.
At a glance, you might not notice that the all-new LX570 has an all-new
look, as well. That's because it carries a lot of the same design cues
as the new LS460 sedan, and thus looks familiar even if you've never
seen it before. Up front there's a proud, trapezoidal horizontal-bar
grille flanked by a set of tall headlamps. The LX570 has a relatively
long nose and muscular bulges in its flanks and roof. Chrome is
minimal, and used to good effect. It's about three and a half inches
longer than the outgoing LX470. 20" wheels and a roof rack are standard
equipment. Handsome LED taillights grace a cleaned-up rear aspect. What
really sets it apart is the attention to detail. As with all Lexus
products, panel gaps and build quality are so perfect that it's hard to
imagine this vehicle was constructed from separate components. Like the
LS460 sedan, the LX570 is hand-sanded twice at the factory, and
undergoes three times as many post-production inspections as other
vehicles.
Is anybody actually going to take the LX570 off-road? Probably not,
considering the $73,800 starting price. As such, the over-the-top
off-road prowess would appear to be the answer to a question that
nobody's asking. That's okay, though; the LX570's on-road comfort and
luxury will appeal to well-heeled owners who simply want to have the
ability to drive through any wasteland that might arise, even if they
wouldn't actually do it. In the end it doesn't matter, though. You
won't see many LX570s, as Lexus only plans to sell about 9500 of them.
Specifications:
Base price: $73,800
Engine: 5.7 liter DOHC 32-valve V8
Drivetrain: six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 383 @ 5600
Torque: 403 @ 3600
Est. mileage: 12/18
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