2025 Lexus LX700h First Look: New Hybrid Makes the Numbers Go Up
At long last, Lexus's top SUV gains a hybrid option.
We knew this was coming ever since the current-generation Lexus LX SUV arrived for 2022 with "only" a twin-turbo V-6 engine. That engine, of course—with some minor changes, and tuned to run on premium fuel instead of regular—is shared with Toyota's Tundra pickup truck, Sequoia large SUV, and the smaller and newer Lexus GX. It's also available in hybridized form in the Toyotas, a move that nudges those rigs' fuel economy northward slightly while also upping their power output considerably. Why didn't Lexus's top SUV offer the hybrid, the ultimate configuration of this powertrain? Well, now it does.
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Meet the LX700h
For 2025, Lexus is adding the LX700h hybrid to the LX's lineup that, until now, has included only the non-hybrid LX600. The LX700h takes the same 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 as the LX600, and adds those aforementioned electric bits, namely an electric motor between the engine and transmission and a nickel-metal hydride battery under its rear floor.
Power rises from 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque in the LX600 to 457 hp and 583 lb-ft in the LX700h. The battery lives under the rear floor—beneath either the third-row seat, where optioned, or empty cargo floor in two-row models—and its fitment necessitated reworking the frame cross rail that holds the spare tire below. Lexus says the new cross beam fiddles with the angle of the spare so that while it (and its mounting rail) sit lower to make room for the battery above, the repositioning has no impact on the LX's departure angle off-road.
Close observers of Toyota hybrids will notice the Tundra and Sequoia versions of these powertrains deliver a milder 389 hp and 437 hp, albeit with the same torque output as the Lexuses; chalk it up to their recommended octane levels, among other small changes. Lexus says the hybrid setup raises the LX's EPA combined figure from 19 mpg to 20 mpg, despite the big power increase, and it can tow the same 8,000 pounds as the LX600.
New Overtrail for LX
As the saying goes, if something's worth doing, it's worth Overtrail-doing. What we mean to say is, Lexus is adding an off-road-focused Overtrail trim level to the LX lineup this year, in addition to the Premium, F Sport Handling, Luxury, and four-seat Ultra Luxury (with a rear center console and no third row seat). The Overtrail, similar to the same trim on the smaller Lexus GX550, includes front and rear locking differentials (that join the locking Torsen limited-slip center diff standard across the LX lineup), 33-inch all-terrain tires, 18-inch wheels, extra skid plating, dark gray exterior trim, black fender flares, and a 2.4 kW AC power inverter onboard. It is only available on the LX700h hybrid and can be optioned with or without the third row seat, as well.
Even on non-Overtrail LXs, Lexus says the hybrid's electric motor is put to use in certain off-roading scenarios. Should you require fine throttle control, the LX700h can deliver electric only operation in low range, a boon, Lexus says, on "rocky paths, dirt roads, and deep snow." More generally, the LX700h's powertrain can deliver maximum torque over a large rpm spread, up to 3,600 rpm.
More Details to Come
Beyond the addition of the hybrid and the new Overtrail announcement, Lexus is waiting to unveil pricing for the 2025 LX family, as well as specifics on which grades are available with the LX700h (though it seems every trim can be paired with either powertrain). Photos of the Overtrail, too, are forthcoming, so stay tuned for more.
A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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