The best 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series yet? New Lexus LX to take LC300 to next level in Australia with four-seat option and F Sport grade

Lexus Australia has confirmed key details – including a new seating option and grade – for the fourth-generation LX upper-large SUV, which is based on the recently launched Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.

When the LX was revealed last month ahead of its 2022 launch locally, Lexus Australia stopped short of confirming several details for buyers, but its chief executive officer, Scott Thompson, has now shared a few with CarsGuide.

“I can confirm with you there’s going to be a four-, or a five- or a seven-seat (option),” he said. “And I can confirm for you that there’s going to be an F Sport (grade).”

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The four-seat option, known as the VIP grade in other markets, is new to the LX series, with the third-generation model having been sold in Australia with five-seat (LX450d) and eight-seat (LX570) configurations.

This also means an eight-seat LX will no longer be offered locally, although the seven-seat alternative will offer buyers similar three-row practicality, while the five-seater will carry over.

Either way, the VIP grade will command all the attention, with its second-row captain’s chairs featuring vibration absorption, which naturally aims to keep its occupants comfortable.

Better yet, sunshades, a dedicated display, a bespoke centre console, extra air-conditioning vents and unique reading lights also help the VIP grade to elevate the LX breed.

As far as who would buy the VIP grade, Mr Thompson indicated private buyers would be lining up alongside fleets that operate limousines and other private cars.

“What we found with cars like the LS – in terms of the pure luxury of sitting in the rear seats and the controls, and the massaging and everything else that sits there – is a unique buyer who likes that,” he said. “And it is like a chauffeur-driven car, it is that luxury experience.

“So, I think it will be a unique sell in talking to key customers, because again, you’re using the back seat and experiencing it.

“So, I think I think it will be more of a chauffeur-driven car – it will be someone who likes to be driven in the car. Or it will be someone who wants to allow their kids to be in absolute luxury, because it is state of the art.”

Meanwhile, the F Sport grade is also new to the LX series, with it introducing a mesh ‘spindle’ grille, a body kit, black alloys wheels, a perforated leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear selector, and firmer seat side bolsters.

To improve driving dynamics, the F Sport grade also gets a Torsen limited-slip differential, performance shock absorbers, a rear stabiliser bar and a unique tune for the electric power steering and adaptive suspension systems.

It’s not yet known if Lexus Australia will offer both of the LX’s twin-turbo V6 engine options, with a 305kW/650Nm 3.5-litre petrol (LX600) and a 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre diesel (LX500d) internationally available.

That said, only the LX600 is available in the VIP grade in other markets, so it appears to be a lock locally for obvious reasons. Meanwhile, the LX500d also seems certain given the previous LX range had petrol and diesel options.

Asked if the LX’s Australian launch had been delayed by parent company Toyota Motor Corporation’s recent production stops, Mr Thompson indicated there had been a “slight delay”, with Lexus Australia having previously hinted at a release in the first quarter of 2022.

“Dates are still up in the air, in terms of confirming those, but we’re still on track,” he said. “There’s been some slight delays in terms of overall order of how we’re bringing things into market.”