Too fancy to take off road
By Toby Hagon | drive.com.au | 11 April
The most luxurious version of Toyota's LandCruiser four-wheel-drive arrives in showrooms next week but buyers may never want to take it off-road.
The eight-seat Lexus LX570 costs from $136,700 and has no options. It will be sold in two versions: the Prestige and the more expensive Sport Luxury ($151,700), which includes front and side cameras (for better low-speed vision when you're on and off the road), rear DVD screens, radar cruise control and a pre-crash system.
All LX570s come with a keyless start system, a fridge, remote tailgate operation, reversing sensors and camera, 10 airbags (dual front, front-knee, side curtains and thorax bags in each door), wireless Bluetooth phone connection and headlights that peer around corners. There's also a voice-operated or touch screen colour display. The ventilation system's 28 vents feed air to four zones.
All three rows of seats are power operated. The front seats have 10-way electric adjustment, the middle row slides electrically and the third row folds electrically against the sides. Four of the eight seats are heated and the front seats are also cooled.
There's a 19-speaker sound system that turns the LX570 into "a rolling cinema".
The LX570 rides on height-adjustable suspension that automatically adjusts to road conditions. When parked, it automatically lowers to make it easier to get in and out.
Under the bonnet is a 5.7-litre V8 that delivers 270kW of power and uses 14.8litres of premium unleaded fuel for each 100kilometres (the engine can also run on regular unleaded). It has more power and a body that's 210 kilograms heavier than its predecessor, but Lexus says fuel economy is improved by 8 per cent.
As well as shifting the 2740kg body it can tow up to 3500kgm; Lexus says 90 per cent of LX570 owners will tow at some stage.
However, just 20 per cent of owners are likely to get the tyres dirty despite Lexus's claims the LX570 is "the most capable off-road vehicle ever produced".
First published by Drive.com.au on April 11 2008
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