The 2023 LX 600 with its 409-hp (415-ps) twin-turbocharged V6 is not enough for you? Well, you should rejoice right now because the 700h might soon be made available in North America. Here’s how Toyota spilled the beans in Canada and what we can learn from it.
Some believe that Lexus’ name originally meant “Luxury Export to the United States,” but that’s just a myth. The brand’s name is derived from three Latin, French, and Greek terms, which, when put together, reflect something along the lines of “The Language of Luxury.” However, advertising specialists have explained that Lexus doesn’t hide any secret meaning. It just sounds good and resembles, in many languages, the pronunciation of a term that best describes luxury.
Known as Toyota’s design- and experience-focused arm, Lexus has also gained its parent company’s reputation for reliability. In the automotive world, this combination is desired but seldom delivered by automakers. With some small hiccups here and there, the Japanese brand managed to not stain its reputation over the years. It still must pass the battery-electric test, but that’s something Toyota must do first. Lexus shouldn’t be held responsible if the move to zero-tailpipe emission powertrains does not work out right from the get-go.
For some Lexus customers, the reluctance to drop the internal combustion engine might be good news. However, both brands are known for their self-charging hybrids that work well even after the 100,000-mile mark has been passed.
This success might be what pushed Toyota and Lexus to develop the poshest Land Cruiser known to man – the LX700h.
According to a Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) filing, Toyota wants the LX700h denomination to be trademarked in the automobile class. Considering that the current LX 600 is written with a space between the letters and the numbers, it is a bit weird that the new name for a potentially more capable vehicle is grouped in one word. It gets even more confusing if we look at the two-door LC hybrid, which displays the LC 500h tag. Not even the smaller SUV RX compacts the entire name into one single word.
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Doug DeMuro
Lexus or Toyota might amend this trademark if they feel like the LX700h denomination does not sit right with the other model in its lineup.
Unfortunately, no reliable rumors are going around about what powertrain the new hybridized large SUV will have. But, if we had to guess, then we would say that the V6 remains and a small battery is added, which might help with moving from a standstill and rapid acceleration. In some markets, it could also allow the vehicle to travel in urban areas without paying various pollution, congestion, or parking charges.
What we’re sure about is a price increase if this trademark previews a new LX to join the automaker’s ranks. Currently, the LX 600 has an MSRP of $90,660 in its cheapest form. The best specification, known as “Ultra Luxury,” has a starting price of $130,750 and comes with a four-seat configuration.
Since the trademark does not show a “+” at the end of the name, it’s most likely not going to be a plug-in hybrid like the 2023 RX 450h+, which can be charged externally and boasts a 2.5-liter engine, a rear electric motor, and an 18.1-kWh Li-Ion battery pack.
What’s almost certain is that the Lexus LX700h will not come with a 7.0-liter V8. That ship has sailed, sadly.
Finally, according to CIPO, the filing has been accepted, but it has not been reviewed yet by an examiner.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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