We somehow missed this one in all the excitement over Easter, but Lexus has finally added a diesel to the lineup.
Where once it refused point blank, claiming an agricultural diesel was not an appropriate fit for the luxury Japanese brand, the company has finally bowed to the realities of the market.
The new Lexus LX 450d comes with a twin-turbo 4.5-litre V8 diesel that pushes out 200kW of power and 650Nm of torque from a low 1600 revs.
Rated at 9.5L/100km, it’s the same oil burner as in the donor 200 Series Landcruiser, giving the LX a range of almost 1000km from a single tank of fuel — and the ability to tow a 3500kg load.
Lexus says special attention has been paid to achieving user friendliness, with a pressure discharge valve to enhance performance and driveability, and the added responsiveness of low-inertia turbochargers with electric motors.
The new addition to the range is priced from $134,500.
For those that prefer petrol power, however, Lexus will continue to offer the LX 570 with a petrol V8.
Lexus Australia chief executive Scott Thompson said the LX 450d would expand the brand’s sales with turbo-diesel being the powertrain of choice in the luxury 4WD market.
“We have had consistent demand for the LX with a turbo-diesel and Lexus has responded by developing an extremely well-specified vehicle that we are able to offer at a remarkable price,” he said.
“The turbo-diesel engine is smooth, quiet and powerful and will suit a wide variety of applications.”
The LX 450d it comes with a full suite of safety systems that include 10 airbags and the latest-generation pre-collision system (PCS) with pedestrian detection, plus lane departure warning, adaptive high-beam system, head-up display, blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert.
Leading-edge off-road technology includes multi-terrain anti-skid brakes, crawl control and four-camera multi-terrain monitor with back guide and panoramic view.
LX 450d also has five-mode drive mode select, variable gear-ratio steering, adaptive variable suspension, easy access and active height control.
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