First Drive: 2025 Lexus LX 700h

With the proliferation of both the luxo-barge SUV as well as Toyota’s Lexus luxury arm, it can be easy to forget that when it debuted in 1996, the LX was not only the first SUV from Lexus, but also one of the first luxury full-size SUVs we ever saw, beating the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator to market by a couple of years. Of course, the LX did have one trick up its sleeve: it shared many of its bits with the Toyota Land Cruiser of the era. While those two Americans were also borne of a platform already in use, the Land Cruiser was then – just as it is now – such a cult classic that the LX almost had a bit of a cheat code unto itself. So much so that in Canada, the LX soldiered on while the Land Cruiser with which it shared so much of its DNA took an extended break from the market.

Of course, the Land Cruiser has now returned but while both it and the LX do ride on Toyota’s TNGA-F platform, they use different engines and are built in different places. In fact, it’s now the smaller Lexus GX that is more closely related to out Land Cruiser. The LX? Well, you might say it inhabits a plane all its own.

Which it may do, but that hasn’t stopped Lexus from giving it a thorough refresh for ’25, a short three years after this latest fourth generation model debuted. In a bit of a twist, it’s not so much a handful of styling tweaks and package adjustments that this mid-cycle refresh has added. There’s a bit of that with the all-new Overtrail+ model, but the real change for ’25 is the addition of the LX 700h hybrid model. That brings the number of available models to a sky high two – the LX 600 and LX 700h – but it really is a big deal, especially on the power front.

The hybrid powertrain consists of a twin-turbo V6 with EV motor, good for 457 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of toque. That’s a lot of pull and as we look at the fuel economy figures we realize that it had better be powerful because especially efficient, it is not. Indeed, at 11.7L/100 km in the combined cycle, the LX 700h is not particularly efficient by hybrid vehicle standards so it better haul you-know-what.
And you know what? Even at the top-spec Executive VIP (yes, that’s the official trim name) level, the LX 700h hops off the line and will have you at highway speeds in very little time. There’s even a nice growl when you really step on it that I wasn’t expecting but as a bit of a petrolhead, I do appreciate. It comes paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission that works well in concert with the powerplant to provide confident forward progress.

With that confidence in mind, it’s time to talk steering. At over 6,000 lbs, the LX 700h is no lightweight and often times a heavy curb weight and aloof, numb steering can be a recipe for disaster. Not here, though. The steering response is nice and direct and even provides a bit of road feel so you know what’s going on below your front axle. As a result, the LX handles much smaller (and lighter!) than it looks, and that is a joy to behold.

Speaking of beholding joy: how about that Overtrail+? It gets off-road spec Toyo rubber and special 18” wheels, as well as some extra body cladding, contrast-colour grille, door handles and wing mirrors and a unique “Earth” exterior colour. If that colour looks a little muddy, it’s probably because getting a little dirty is part of the Overtrail+’s MO. We took it on some properly slimy roads as well as through rock piles and deep puddles into steep mud-caked climbs and it handled all of it with nary a whimper. Simply select “Mud” mode, lock the rear and centre diffs with the press of a button and the new LX becomes a proper globetrotting machine. Never thought I would have seen that from the LX; the smaller Land Cruiser-based GX, perhaps – and the Overtrail trim did debut on that truck last year – but not the flagship.

You do have to ask, though: with a before-tax price of $136,059 for the two-row, five passenger version and $138,154 for the three-row, seven-passenger version is anyone really going to be taking it through conditions like this? It’s a fair question, but think about it: if it can handle itself this way in these extreme situations, imagine its chops when it comes to tackling a stubborn Canadian winter or the pockmarked roads lacing our major cities. Plus, any buyer considering a vehicle at this heady of a level probably wants the whole shebang, wants to know their LX 700h can handle anything they throw at it, whether they plan to push the limits or not.

Contrary to its rough-n-tumble exterior, the LX 700h Overtrail+’s interior is all Lexus luxury. That means open pore wood inserts, a total of three digital displays plus a digital rear-view-mirror and head-up display, standard leather seating, massaging front seats – that’s a first for the LX – heated and ventilated front seats and a cooler in the front armrest. That’s a neat trick but know it doesn’t operate independently of the AC system; if you want the cooler to activated, AC has to be on.

With their massage feature and their heating and ventilation the front seats are comfortable and the tall seating position means a great view out. I do wish there was just a little more legroom in the second row and the third row is strictly for the kiddos. There’s a healthy 1,772 litres of cargo space in the two-row model, but opting for the three-row version drops that down to 1,768 L and the folded third row makes for an uneven load floor. Lexus has included a flip down shelf to help even things out, but that is a bit of an overcomplication.

The Executive VIP trim changes things a little as it comes only as a two-row with second-row reclining seats and a foot rest that drops off the front seatback. It’s nice to have all that but the seat cushions are quite plump and I found that they forced me to sit up a little higher than I wanted. Since my legs are quite long, I couldn’t really make use of the footrest because I had to bend my knees too much in order to make use of it. There’s also a big centre console with touchscreen display and seatback-mounted video screens on the VIP, but unless you’re a small passenger, I don’t really see the point. Other VIP-specific features include Caramel Sunset leather with Takanoha wood inserts from Japanese wood craftsmen, rear wireless charging pad and special overhead AC vents so that whatever the front passengers are doing climate-wise won’t affect the experience of rear-seat occupants.

They have the luxury features down pat, that’s for sure and the Overtrail+ version is a real revelation. I was seriously impressed with its capabilities; I just wish Lexus made it a little easier to get an LX into the hands of those that would actually put those qualities to the test on the regular. How about an Overtrail – with all those goodies – but without the “+” and with the less expensive non-hybrid turbo V6 from the LX 600? Now we’re talking…