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By
EWAN KENNEDY
4 August 2008
Lexus’ latest 4WD, the LX570 is big, brash and unashamedly a car
for the person who wants everything. And it can be a lot of things
for a many people, or at least people with upwards of $140,000 to
spend. And a decent sized garage could be useful as well…
Because this is a genuine off-road vehicle, a real people mover
with plenty of interior space, and an exceptional tow vehicle.
In
particular, the new Lexus has the low noise levels we have come to
love in these upmarket Japanese cars for close to two decades now.
Even more impressive was the ride comfort, no matter what the road
surface the big 4WD simply loped over it with never a sign of it
being unsettled.
Few
will ever drive a big Lexus off-roader hard at corners but it
hangs on pretty well considering it weighs in at close to three
tonnes. Body roll isn’t too bad and all occupants will travel
securely and safely under all conditions, with spacious room
inside. The LX570 is a large people mover that provides comfort
for up to eight people all of whom can be adults, though four
adults and four children is a more practical arrangement.
Where
this large vehicle is justified is in pulling power. Lexus LX
models are often used for heavy duty towing, particularly of horse
floats. So the latest model has a big 3500 kg braked towing
capacity. All you have to do is have the Lexus dealer add a
tow-ball, because the rear chassis rail is already a heavy-duty
two-bar.
The
LX570 has genuine off-road ability. While almost all vehicles in
this rarefied class are pretenders that appear to be 4WDs but are
really only suited to soft off-road running, the Lexus has a tough
body, variable ride height and the latest in mechanical and
electronic aids to provide plenty of ground clearance and
excellent traction. It really can go places where few others would
dare to go.
Though
based on the new Toyota LandCruiser 200 series the Lexus LX570 has
had its appearance changed in many ways. Only the doors are
carried over from the tough Toyota. The frontal shape of the Lexus
carries cues to the latest in the marque’s passenger car series
and is unashamedly big and bold.
The
dash panel, seats and trim have all been designed specifically for
the LX570. Quality leather, genuine timber, metals and carpet are
used throughout. It comes as no surprise that the quality of
finish is astonishingly good, the company has been famed for this
since day one. The latest LX series is virtually an LS series limo
with four-wheel-drive capability.
Lexus
uses two air conditioning units. These divide the vehicle into
four individual zones to give just about everyone their own
private atmosphere by way of 28 different ventilation outlets.
Entertainment
comes from a Mark Levinson audio system featuring 19 speakers,
including a 10-inch subwoofer. Rear-seat DVD entertainment is
provided by a nine-inch screen with multiple connections.
There's
power adjustment just about everywhere, with the second row seat
featuring it for fore/aft adjustment, and the rearmost seats being
powered away when not in use and down again as required.
The
570 in the latest LX’s title indicates the capacity of its
twin-cam 5.7-litre V8 engine. Though it weighs close to three
tonnes, the 270 kW and 530 Nm generated powers this 4WD to 100
km/h in only 7.8 seconds.
Though
it’s better than the LX470 it replaces in the efficiency stakes,
this is certainly no economy machine. Indeed, it’s thirsty
almost to the point of being anti-social. Our testing showed it to
use around 11 to 13 litres per hundred kilometres in the gentlest
of highway running conditions. And figures close to 18 litres per
hundred kilometres won’t be surprising in suburban commuting in
traffic.
If
you’re carrying eight people, or a fair percentage of that
number, this fuel use can be justified, but if you’re the only
occupant and crawling in traffic towards inner city areas you may
get some disapproving looks.
Australia
is very important to Lexus and its parent company Toyota. So
Japanese and Australian Lexus engineers got together to test
prototypes of the LX570 in the Australian outback and the Great
Dividing Range. Some 200,000 kilometres were covered over a
three-year period and many improvements were made as a result.
Safety
is highlighted by such features as radar that warns of possible
collisions and takes action to try and prevent them. And cameras
mounted into the front grille and the passenger side door mirror
to give the driver a wide view of potential blind spots.
Not
a car for everyone, but those who do have a good sized bank
account and who need a genuinely tough vehicle that can hold a lot
of people and their luggage may well find this superbly refined
machine from Lexus is exactly what they need.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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